Our Inner Beasts
by Mable
Summary: In a twist of fate, 7 misses the mark and the Cat Beast survives. Desperate and injured, it decides on the unthinkable and changes its body, not realizing what massive changes will follow. The Sanctuary is already torn after the events from before, but none of them expect what's coming when 2 realizes that the Cat Beast has become a Stitchpunk. 7xCat, 9x6, 1x2, others later.
1. Chapter 1: And so it Begins

**Mable: So here is my fic for the 9 anniversary, and my new chaptered fic in general! ^-^ It feels so good to get back on the horse again. Now you're probably wondering about 'When the Wolf Watches' and 'Magnetic Attraction', and I am still working on them. Basically they are on hiatus for a while because I've been so stuck with them, but they are not cancelled, and they will be finished in due time. Anyway, I hope everyone Enjoys! (Also, you may notice I'm trying a new type of formatting. Tell me what you think if you'd like!)**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter One: And so it Begins_

It was unbelievable what one second could cause.

In one moment the pale warrior was plummeting to the Cat Beast, which moved its claws upwards desperately to block itself. In a surprising chance of luck, it managed to deflect the blow from its neck and instead the Stitchpunk landed on its back, its spear digging into the Beast's shoulder. "Run!" she called over to the remaining Stitchpunks watching; being Two, Five, and Nine. The Healer helped the Inventor to his feet and they started to run out the way they came in, only for Nine to run in the opposite direction.

"Nine!" Five cried out desperately after him, but Nine hurried over to where the Talisman had been left. He grabbed it and placed it into his zippered front before the others could get to him.

"Nine, hurry! We don't have much time!" Two warned in dread and Nine nodded before following.

"Which way?!" Nine asked, struggling to keep a clear head as he followed them.

Five struggled to think and suddenly spotted what looked like a metal pipe that went out of the Factory. "Maybe over there!" They dashed over as the Warrior, Seven, continued her assault on the Cat Beast. It was leaking oil from its wound and yet agilely rolled over, tossing the Stitchpunk off of its back as it growled towards her. It swung a claw forward and she rolled back out of the way, then dashed off to the side. Once she could see that the three had escaped she abandoned the battled and followed closely behind.

The Cat Beast lunged at her and landed in a puddle of water settled underneath some metal remnants, her barely skipping past its claws and continuing towards the tunnel and out. The Beast was prepared to follow when it stopped at the opening. Its claws grasped the edge of the tunnel as it watched the dolls running further out of sight. It growled after them, released a roar of anger, and then moved away from the opening. The oil was still leaking out and it needed to address it sooner than later. The Cat Beast retreated back inside of the factory.

It quickly got to work tightening a bolt that had been jammed out by the impaling spear. It would have to eventually be replaced, but for the moment it was enough, and now the Cat Beast approached the hidden Machine blanketed in the center of the room. It was more important that he did what he needed to. As it headed over to the center of the room and looked around it found that the Talisman it had brought, the one that's pattern was imprinted in its head, was now completely missing. It began to search around frantically, digging through the remnants, scratching desperately with sharp claws like blades.

The Talisman was certainly missing from the area and it let out a bellow of a roar in fury. They had to have taken it, it had lost it, and with it went the last chance to awaken its creator. The dolls had to have taken it and it knew it would have to go after them again and retrieve it. Yet after years there was a strange hopelessness, even for a creature that didn't feel something like that. Instead the Beast felt something different, a new idea forming with a confused drive that seemed to come from nowhere.

It couldn't survive as it was for much longer. All of the other Machines had fallen into endless slumbers, perhaps their leader had done so as well, and yet the Cat Beast seemed to survive onwards, as did the dolls. They were doing much better physically as well while he was falling apart. Something about their bodies kept better than his own. He supposed that if he was one like them he would live longer, live fine, and finally he decided that this was the only chance. For hours the Cat Beast pondered what he was going to do.

He couldn't survive much longer with these dolls managing to somehow overpower him, nor could he continue to substitute repairs on his own. It was obvious; he had to become like them and with that became his plans. Immediately he began to scrape through the metal pieces and loose objects lying around the factory in the attempt to figure out a way to create himself a new body.

* * *

"It's no trouble," Seven insisted with a warm smile as the three saved Stitchpunks looked at her with adoration, especially Nine.

"It certainly was! Why, the way you handled that Beast- I don't even want to imagine what would've come if you hadn't appeared!" Two insisted graciously.

Five added in with, "Why don't you come back with us?" He gestured back towards the Cathedral which she had escorted them back to. Nine hoped that she would say 'yes', but Seven got a disturbed look and gently shot the other male down.

"My work's out here. I can't go back to the Cathedral." She followed with a smile, "But I'm always nearby if you're in need." Two chuckled warmly, Five smiled sweetly, and Nine smiled in a goofy fashion, though was clearly disappointed as the female lowered her helmet and hurried off into the Emptiness. The three waved after her until Two stretched his back tiredly.

"Well, that was quite a day! Come, let's retire into the Cathedral. I think I may need a rest in a proper bed." As he led the way Nine and Five followed in relief. Five seemed to have gotten a great boost in confidence and Nine simply reveled in the slipping away of his guilt. However, there still was something that pressed at his mind and he turned to his friend.

"Five…" he began, "Should we tell Two about what One said? How One wouldn't go after him." It was as though suddenly the Healer had a shock of the memory and stared blankly ahead.

"I… I don't know…" He looked downwards, "I mean, One has his ways, but that was… Should we tell Two?" He seemed utterly torn and Nine contemplated it. He had to be honest and couldn't let One merely slip by when he had been so unhelpful beforehand, but at the same time Two was tired and stressed already.

"We should… But I guess it can wait." Five looked concerned and Nine sent a hopeful smile in an attempt to ease them both.

This was when Two called back to them, "Come along, you two! We should get into the Sanctuary in case that Beast comes back for a second battle!" Both of the Stitchpunks hurried their pace and climbed into the bucket lift, raising into the Sanctuary at a slow pace.

As they started to enter the upper area One was already waiting with a cold look in his optics and Eight at his back. "And should I even begin to ask-?!" One began in a loud and furious tone. Five winced at the anger and Nine glared, almost prepared to yell back and point out how they saved Two. Instead One was cut off by a choke and stared in surprise at the Inventor, "Two… You're safe…"

The Inventor smiled back, "Indeed I am. Though I don't much appreciate you scolding my rescuers." He stepped out of the lift and guided the two out behind him. One still looked surprised while Eight looked a little relieved and Nine caught a glimpse of a figure briefly peering from the shadows. "But for now we need to make proper sleeping arrangements for Nine for tonight. If you'll excuse us." He beckoned to the two Stitchpunks and guided them into the back, One watching with widened optics the entire time.

Nine felt a slight amusement and a brief smirk twitch at his lips, even though now he was feeling worse about not telling Two the whole truth. They entered the back hall and Nine was led to Two's room to grab extra blankets, then into Five's room where they made him a bed on the floor. "It's not the best, but we can make you a real bed tomorrow," Five insisted and Nine smiled at the idea while Two chimed in.

"You certainly can. Especially if Nine builds as quickly as he did here." Nine looked over to see Two studying the Lightstaff he had set down briefly. He felt a bit of delight at seeing the Inventor interested, but also concern.

"I- Sorry about using your things," he apologized insistently and Two chuckled.

"Don't worry about it! This is much more useful than a lance, and I already have a second hat almost put together. It just needs some minor things."

Naturally Nine immediately volunteered, "Maybe I could go out and find them for you." He offered and Five added I that he would go as well.

It was now that a new voice volunteered, "I'm assuring that this doesn't mean you two plan to immediately go right back out into that danger?" One's tone was supposed to be strict, but it seemed like he was still in a shocked state about Two, who spoke.

"It's not that dangerous. That Beast… It simply put me in a cage. It trapped me instead of killing me… I wonder why."

He hummed in thought briefly and One chimed in, "It doesn't matter why! That thing is still there, waiting to attack again!"

It was now that Nine volunteered, "Well, if it does, at least we have Seven to back us up." It was a clear retort of bitterness and One looked to him immediately, "You… What?"

Now Five tried, "We found Seven. Or she found us. She came in when we were at the factory and fought the Cat Beast. It was incredible!" He was beginning to grow more confident again while One was fighting his widening optics.

"I… Well… The twins? Did any of you three see the twins out there?"

Nine blinked in surprise, "Twins?"

Five and Two shook their heads in response. "No, we didn't. However, I didn't exactly expect Seven to bring them along for a Beast hunt in the Emptiness," Two explained to answer him.

One scoffed a bit at the comment, "It isn't as though she has before, right?" His tone was again laced with bitterness before finishing with. "You all had a long day. Get some rest," Then he left just like that, Nine still frowning to himself. One was acting significantly less aggressive than earlier, but what happened earlier still bothered the younger extensively. Even the ever present presence of Eight wasn't there when previously he had been following like a hawk. Regardless he again stilled his tongue and worked with the others to make a bedding.

"This should be enough," he encouraged when a proper bed looked made. "Thank you for doing this."

Two put a friendly hand on his shoulder, "It's no trouble! Though I'm ashamed to admit that we could've made a bed in the time it took to rescue me." He chuckled again in a friendly way and reached for Five, guiding him closer before bringing both into a one-armed hug. "Thank you both again. I'm not sure what would've happened if I was there much longer."

Nine put an arm back around Two while Five fully hugged him, holding him tightly to him as though he feared that Two would vanish. "I would always go after you. Just finding out you were gone…" Five trailed off and Nine noticed confusion and questioning in his optics. Five wanted to know why Two was out but didn't ask.

Soon Two pulled back and added then, "Just know, both of you, that I would always return the favor." There was a tender warmth between the three as Two now released them and headed for the door. "I'll be just next door if you need anything," he added in and then left. Now Five and Nine were left alone and the zippered male immediately laid down on his bed.

"You know; you did have to get stitched earlier. Maybe you should just take my bed."

Nine waved it off, "No, I'm fine. The bed's comfortable." In fact, it was so comfortable to the male that he fell asleep relatively quickly.

* * *

After hours of working ruthlessly, stretching what he had adapted to know about Machine mechanics and doll frames to its highest degree, the Cat Beast had achieved some sort of progress. The skeletal structure was starting to come together a bit, but there were more issues appearing. Firstly, the Cat Beast knew there would be trouble trying to move actual part into the body while awake, incredibly risky and difficult, and it also was becoming obvious that it didn't know what was under the fabric other than a basic frame.

While it could estimate well enough it seemed like it needed more, and desperate times called for desperate measures. He needed a model to work off of and a willing, or unwilling, assistant that could be frightened into working. Maybe it was a risk, but that short Stitchpunk was a clever one, and it had no doubt that success laid with it. Besides, the Cat Beast was at a standstill regardless, and as it finished tightening a bolt it knew its next move. They were hiding in the large building in the city; all it needed to do was wait and then strike and bring one back here for final preparations.

* * *

Nine woke after a weary night of tossing and turning. It turned out the bed really wasn't as comfortable as he thought, but he had a partial memory of Five waking him in the middle of the night and offering to switch with him. He glanced over to see that Five wasn't in his bed currently and couldn't fathom how he was awake and working yet. Looking over towards the doorway he could see that he wasn't alone. For a second it almost threw Nine off as it was not only a new Stitchpunk, but a very strange looking Stitchpunk.

A clash of stripes, yarn hair, and fountain pen fingers. Nine blinked at the male and he spoke, "How?" He seemed shaken and blinked, "How…. Could you?"

Nine assumed he was being accused of something, "How could I… What?"

The strange male murmured, "I saw- Two wasn't supposed to come back… It was supposed to happen, we aren't supposed to be here." He explained with a shiver as though of distress and Nine started to climb out of bed, growing more interested.

"You saw what? Why weren't we supposed to come back?" Suddenly it clicked; the pen fingers coated in ink, the ink drawing of the Beast. "You drew that picture! You're…" Then he remembered what Two said, "The one who drew that Talisman?"

The Artist suddenly looked to him in alarm, "You have it?! Where is it?!" Nine unzipped himself and presented it, and the male took it with shaky fingers, looking down at it. "But I… I saw it…" He looked back to Nine and quickly explained. "When I see something like that it happens. It always happens. How did you… Change it?" He then looked down at the Talisman, "I've never changed it before."

Nine was still confused, but was starting to understand it a slightly bit more. "You saw that something would happen and it didn't?... Alright." He didn't fully doubt him; Two had made it apparent that this Stitchpunk knew something. "What was supposed to happen?" The Artist turned away and Nine could see the '6' on his back.

"I-It's foggy… You, the others, in the factory, umm… There's a fight- The Beast, the Beast is slain. You take the Source." He raised it, "and slowly…" He pushed it forward as though putting it into something before stopping, mismatched optics widening as the Talisman drops from his hands and is juggled by Nine. Before the zippered male can ask, Six grabbed his shoulders, "Listen to me!" He suddenly blurted out in commanding. "Don't go back! I don't care for what- Don't go back!" Six demanded as he shook Nine.

"I-I won't!" Nine insisted, "I only went to go get Two. I don't plan to go back…"

Six insisted just as firmly, "Good. Because you think the Beast is dangerous, but inside that factory is something much worse. The Beast can hurt us, but _it_ will kill us." Something in the comment sent a chill down Nine's spine. Six released him and looked down at himself before looking embarrassed, "I'm sorry. I'm… I'm a little…"

He trailed off and Nine insisted with a warm smile, "Hey, no, it's okay. I… Thanks for warning me. I believe you and I'm not going anywhere near the factory for now and this…" He looked to the Talisman, "What else do you know about this?" Six clutched his key and massaged it softly with a worried look.

"Oh, hey! Good morning!" Five's voice interrupted the conversation and both jumped and looked over. He was smiling and looked like he had been awake for a while, "I see you met Six."

Nine gave a lopsided smile, "Where have you been? I didn't expect you to be awake so early!"

The one eyed male looked embarrassed, "Well, I haven't been awake that long… You could've taken my bed. I went in with Two last night." He had found sleeping too difficult after everything from the day and only had rest once he climbed in bed with his mentor, letting the Stitchpunk who was like his father pet his head and put him to sleep. It was embarrassing to admit, but Five wouldn't have been able to go to sleep otherwise. "So what's the plan for today?"

Nine got an amused, lopsided smile, "You tell me. I'm the new one here."

Two had entered at this point as well and chuckled at the comment. He then winced inwardly, "Ah… It's a shame I lost all of the things I found while I was out."

"They're just things," Five encouraged back, but Nine hesitated and offered.

"We could go out and get them. It isn't too far."

Five looked unnerved and Six looked fearful. "Where?" he demanded, "Where are these things? Out there?" Nine reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder; Six reacted with a shiver as though he wasn't used to touch.

"Relax, we're not going to the factory again. I promise you," he spoke with a smile. Now Five took his turn, "The Beast could still be waiting out there." Nine looked to Two who hummed.

"Hmm… Well, I for one haven't learned my lesson, so it seems," Two quipped with an amused smile. "Come! Let's check out the Watchtower and see what we can see!"

Soon enough all three were perched in the Watchtower looking out at the Emptiness far below them. They had lost Six on the way who went to draw in his corner and now Two peered out through the spyglass. "I'm not seeing anything…" He murmured softly and then pulled back, "Five, you take a look. Your vision is better than mine."

Nine smothered the crack of an amused smile at the irony as the two changed positions and now Five stared through. "No, not from what I can see. No Beast."

Nine perked at this, "That's great! We can outwit the Beast and get the supplies! Who knows how long until it even notices anything, or if it will even come back after that fight with Seven."

This caused Two to chuckle, "Oh yes, no doubt that the Beast will be hiding with its tail between its legs after that assault!" He pumped a fist in a mock victory pose and Nine chuckled.

"Alright, here's the plan," Five abruptly announced as he turned towards them and stepped down. He sounded very authoritarian in a way that surprised both of the Stitchpunks. "I'll go with you to get the things… But Two, you need to stay," Five pointed out firmly.

Two was surprised at the comment, but caved with a firm nod. "I understand. I'll wait here while you two go. Just be careful." The younger Stitchpunks both agreed and began preparing for their journey, grabbing Five's harpoon, quiver, and Nine's Lightstaff.

The three headed through the throne room to reach the lift and at this time One took a step forward. "Where are you two going now? Didn't you get enough of the danger and horrors of that war torn world?" One's voice was filled with suspicion and something that almost sounded like fear. He looked towards Two directly, "And you, kidnapped by a monster and now eagerly heading back out." Two chuckled off his accusation as though One had merely recited an anecdote. Though personally Nine had a feeling One replayed these comments just as much.

"Oh, One, don't be like that!" he insisted with his normal warm and affectionate demeanor. "Nine and Five are heading out to get the things I left when I was taken. It's close by and these two can handle themselves." He rested a hand on Five's shoulder.

One retorted with a firm, "Absolutely not. After that… Disaster, you expect me to just allow you to waltz out of here?" Nine was surprised that Eight hadn't wandered over because of the steady rise in One's voice. Looking past him he found Eight over in the corner. Six was kneeling on the floor drawing in the curtained corner that Nine assumed was his bedroom and Eight was leaning against the wall beside him. He had a mix of a smug look and a smirk on his face as he flickered at the Artist's yarn, clearly trying to bother or annoy him.

However, Six seemed either immune to it or used to it, as he continued focusing on his drawing without a problem. Nine resisted the urge to head over and try to run Eight off as he already had trouble for the current moment.

Thankfully, Two didn't bat an optic. "I know, One, but there were so many good things I found. Healing supplies, extra bolts, a suitable replacement lens… I also found something I think you would've been interested in," Nine and Five already knew what Two was doing. "It was about… Oh… about this size around and made of what looked like gold leaf, with a small gem in the center of it. I believe it was once a button," Two continued to describe. "Now I couldn't use it, but I thought it would've looked nice if made into a proper cape clasp."

One looked stirred, but not fully convinced. "I already have a cape clasp that works perfectly fine. No amount of bribery is going to get you out of this Sanctuary."

Two looked alarmed, "Bribery? Goodness me, One, how can I bribe you with something I don't have? I think you are suspecting too much of me. I simply thought maybe it would look good on a second cape. You know we have that burgundy fabric downstairs…" He hummed like he was in thought rubbing his chin, "And of course it wouldn't be too out of the picture for the leader to have two of anything."

"Of course not. If anything, I should have enough to change throughout the day," One pointed out.

Two insisted, "At least one for special occasions. The burgundy and gold would contrast each other very well."

Now One gave a nod, "Yes, and how long would it take?"

Two quickly answered, "Not very long at all! In fact, let me go get everything now and I can begin working. The fabric is in the workshop, I believe. Come along, Nine, Five, you two can accompany me." He slipped into the lift and the two followed. They started to descend.

"Stop," One suddenly announced, hooking his staff on the edge of the bucket lift, "Do you not think I don't know what you're doing?" His optics narrowed in suspicion and Two stared back with a blank look. "You want to get down there and head out to get those things. Wordplay doesn't get you anywhere, Two," He growled and Two approached him.

Suddenly he lay a hand on his ties, "I promise you, One, I have no intention of doing that, and I promise- On my own fabric- that I won't be stepping out into the Emptiness." There was a silent moment where the two just stood there staring each other down.

Then One pulled back, "See that you don't." He turned in a sudden motion and headed to his throne as Five turned the crank. They slowly started to descend when Two added in.

"Oh One, wordplay gets me everywhere I need to go," for a brief second his playful smile turned into an actual smirk before reverting to normal, and Nine smiled back.

"You're clever, Two," he complimented and Two responded with, "Clever like a fox."

* * *

 **Mable: So in one split second, when Seven was supposed to have destroyed the Cat Beast, she missed, failed, and now something different has taken place. Everyone trapped in the web is oblivious to what is coming, what they have stopped, and how it's about to affect them… Except, you know, maybe Six.  
Working on my other fic has allowed me to see that it's easier to tend to a fic, especially a multi-chaptered one, if I take care to post the chapters in a timely manner without trying to rush them out. So I'm going to try and balance finishing the chapter on time to creating a chapter worth reading, and hopefully I'll manage both. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Weight of Risks

**Mable: Here we are with the second chapter! I hope you like it. ^-^ I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Two: The Weight of Risks_

Soon they were downstairs and Two retreated into the workshop to work on the cape. There was a high chance that One would figure out what they did and it would be better to at least have the cape to show, even if it wasn't finished. Nine and Five headed out and walked the route to the roller skate that had held Two's things before. There they managed to find quite a few things and, while the skate wasn't able to be moved because of damage, they carried what they could on the way back to the Cathedral.

Though it was on the way back when something happened. They didn't even see the Beast following them in the shadows of the Cathedral. It crept lowly near the rubble and stare at the dolls wandering to the front of the building. While neither was the small male that he was planning to snag, they both looked close enough to assist, and that's all it needed. It needed a scared, little tool that would be able to work on a body for him. To put into it whatever left it needed to become a proper body.

"Did you hear that?" Five lowered voice and hesitant tone showed that he was alarmed by something.

Nine hadn't noticed it; he was too busy looking over a bullet that he had carried back. "…Hear what?" he now looked to his best friend only to catch the sound of a pebble being knocked around nearby. He stared at the one eyed male who stared back. They listened closer and the zippered male's optics searched the vicinity. At this time the Cat Beast went completely still; he didn't want them running and he still needed to get closer. Finally, Nine and Five fell into a false sense of aloneness and began to continue on.

"So Six…" Nine began quietly, "He's… Really something."

Five smiled at the comment, still uneasy but pushing it back into his mind. "He is. He's actually a pretty good friend of mine. Probably will be yours too soon enough." The younger nodded and fidgeted with the stuff trying to slide from his hands.

The Cat Beast moved a bit closer as it crawled low on its belly. They still hadn't heard it approaching and its own sense of success was growing.

"He sees things?" Nine inquired afterwards and Five looked to him strangely.

"What makes you say that?"

The younger male shrugged, "He's seeing something… He warned me this morning about not returning to the factory." He now looked to the Healer for answers.

Five seemed hesitant about thoroughly spilling out everything that he knew, but did start to admit Nine's suspicions were right. "Six sometimes knows things are going to happen before they do. That's why he's… That's why he doesn't get much sleep."

"Does anyone listen to him?" Nine inquired and Five gave a nod.

"Of course! I mean, we try to as much as we can. One believes as long as Six doesn't foresee something coming to the Cathedral that we're safe. That sort of took a toll on Six… Don't tell him or anyone else I told you this, but sometimes Six has normal nightmares too. When that happens he has trouble figuring out whether or not he saw something or just imagined it." He then grew more confident as he finished, "But if Six is certain about something then he's certain."

Silence passed between them for a few moments. Then Nine's curiosity piqued again, "So his fingers are like pens-?" Suddenly there was a loud rustle, the sound of heavy weight cracking rubble beneath it, and a large figure blurred behind them. Nine immediately dropped everything and abruptly shoved the one eyed male, "Five! Look out!" The Healer fell to the ground as the Cat Beast's claw swiped at Nine and pinned him. The zippered male stared upwards at the red optic staring down at him. It felt wicked and he knew it wanted to take him.

The Cat Beast assumed that intimidation would get the Stitchpunk into doing whatever it wanted. It leaned its head down and got the doll in its grasp. As it started to raise its head a sharp needle ricocheted off of the side of its neck. It protectively covered itself with a claw before looking over, its piercing eyes staring down the one eyed male. A low growl filled its chest and it leaned forward, trying to ward the buttoned male off. Five took a shaky step back but seeing as Nine was struggling in the Beast's mouth he continued to stand his ground.

Five fired again upon the Cat Beast and it quickly ducked downwards. In this moment Nine reached to the ground and grabbed his Lightstaff, quickly wedging it into the Beast's mouth and trying to open the gap of teeth so that he could squeeze out. The Cat Beast attempted to tighten its grasp, but unintentionally gave Nine enough room to squeeze out while adjusting its bite. He hit the ground and began to run, claws coming after him and trying to stop him. He started to run and quickly dashed under a fallen sign.

The Cat Beast took after and scraped at the sign, trying to lift it so that he could get the Stitchpunk that slid underneath. By time it realized that it needed to turn to Five, who it had ignored because of him attacking back, the one eyed male was gone as well. The Cat Beast flew into a ravenous fit; tearing around the immediate area and ruthlessly seeking out either of the Stitchpunks. Nine and Five managed to sneak to the Cathedral and hurried inside to the workshop, rushing inside to find Two.

"We have to get upstairs," Five pointed out in panic.

Two looked to them in surprise and concern, "What happened? Are you two alright?" Five babbled an explanation as the Cat Beast suddenly appeared in the doorway of the Cathedral.

Nine gasped and grasped Five's arm, "It found us!" The three were cornered in the Workshop, basically, but luckily enough for them the Beast was now looking around the overturned and broken pews. It had yet to notice the Workshop.

"Stay calm…" Two quietly coaxed, "It doesn't see us."

"Maybe it'll leave?" Five asked with a slight begging tone, as though he wished it would simply leave.

While he wasn't answered, Nine volunteered with his own plan, "Maybe we can get to the bucket lift. If we can get into the Sanctuary it'll not be able to follow us, right?" He looked to the Inventor who stiffly nodded. They left the few things they managed to find in the Workshop along with the cape that Two was beginning to make, and crept around the outer wall of the Cathedral. It was difficult to see the Beast past the rubble.

Eventually the Cat Beast did manage to find the Workshop and stared inside, looking around curiously and trying to work its claw inside to see the little objects. If it was smaller, it assumed, it could have full access to whatever they hid in here. Perhaps the Talisman was hiding under this stuff. The Stitchpunks boarded the bucket lift and as Five started to turn the crank it let out a squeak. He winced and whispered under his breath, "I knew we should've oiled this!"

Two, meanwhile, felt a jolt of panic and looked back to him, "Hurry! Go!"

The Cat Beast heard the squeak and growled in delight; it knew where they were. It pulled back and bounded across the Cathedral to where the Bucket Lift was rising. Its claws swatted upward and one managed to get ahold of the bottom of the bucket lift. The Stitchpunk inside all cried out in alarm and Nine leaned over the edge. He tried to use the end of the Lightstaff to strike the claw closest to him and while it may not have helped the Cat Beast's claws slid down anyway. It was simply too high and as they were released they continued.

Two and Five desperately turned the crank as Nine watched the Cat Beast rear down to jump. Suddenly it sprung and grabbed ahold of the Bucket Lift with its weight. It was either good construction or sheer luck that kept the lift intact for the few seconds until the Cat Beast dropped down again. It roared upwards at them as they slowly rose further and further into the Cathedral. Once they got high enough that they were definitely not returning, the Cat Beast turned and returned to the Workshop, looking back inside for whatever it needed.

It would need to be smaller to get the Stitchpunks into forced assistance regardless, so it seemed simpler if it simply went along with it. It didn't need these beings; it could do it on its own and then would return for the Talisman. They would be able to flee it anymore; size wouldn't hold it back any longer. Eventually, it took out of the Cathedral and headed back towards the factory to continue its work. It didn't rationalize what it was doing or perhaps it would've realized that it was thinking irrationally.

When the bucket lift arrived into the Sanctuary they were met by three Stitchpunks. From their looks it was obvious that they must have heard something.

"What happened?!" One demanded and Two stumbled out of the lift, a shaken Five and Nine following him out.

"It was- Goodness me- The Cat Beast-!" he panted and One growled.

"You said you wouldn't go outside!"

Two immediately protested, "No, One, it came inside! Chased us to the bucket lift and then some! Thank goodness it had a weak grip."

Concern settled on the Leader's face, "Are all of you alright?"

They all nodded and Eight chimed in, "We knew something was going down when the ropes started going crazy." He sent a look to the bucket lift and Six shivered before looking to Nine and Five in concern. He stared at Nine directly and the zippered male wanted to say that they weren't at the factory, but he couldn't say anything in front of One. Instead he just got a desperate look as though to explain. He swore that he saw the Artist ease.

"I'm sorry, I left your cape downstairs. I'll get it later," Two explained as he continued to breathe heavily in slowing panic.

One waved it off, "That's not important. Just… For the rest of the day the bucket lift and the lower Cathedral are strictly off limits."

Nine wanted to say something, but Two chimed in with, "I'm completely fine with that… Come along, Five, Nine, I'm heading to the Watchtower to watch for that… foul hunk of badly welded metal." He said the statement as though swearing at the beast.

"I'll come too," Five volunteered.

Nine had other plans, "I think I'll stay down here. You two go ahead." Two and Five started off, the one eyed male resting a hand on his mentor's shoulders as they went, obviously still shaken.

"This Beast is becoming more of a menace…" Nine looked over towards the leader who was approaching his throne. "That event at the factory must have stirred it further. It may be years before it settles again." The older Stitchpunk settled into his throne once more.

"I could put it down, Boss, you know I can," Eight suddenly spoke and it surprised Nine even more. This was arguably the most he heard out of the Guard. "If you want me to deal with it I'll get my knives, head down there, and I can just-."

One raised a hand in dismissal, "No. I'm not having you risk injury trying to fight that thing." Nine wanted to cry out about how he hadn't wanted to protect Two that much, but instead noticed Six out of the corner of his optic. The Artist beckoned him and then headed into his corner. Slowly Nine approached and watched to make sure One and Eight weren't paying attention, which they weren't. He stepped from the throne room into Six's little quarters; a gallery wallpapered with his drawings of the source.

The zippered male was actually in awe of the sheer amount and looked around while the striped male squeaked out, "How far? How far did you go?" He clutched his key anxiously as his mismatched optics sought answers.

Nine immediately defended himself and insisted, "We didn't go far. Nowhere near the factory."

"Good," Six responded with a soft exhale. He looked away before crouching down onto his knees and pulling an inkwell close. "I thought… I thought maybe…" Now Nine boldly stepped forwards and Six was a little surprised by it, looking up at him.

They stared at each other for a moment before Nine asked, "Six… You see things… Can you tell me about them?" The striped male seemed briefly fluster and turned his head away. After a few moments he nodded and Nine sat down cross legged beside him.

"Okay, just start from the beginning, alright? When'd you begin seeing these things?" He smiled warmly and his optics were brightened with interest. Six couldn't remember the last time the others had been interested this much.

"After creation… I started drawing too. Papa used to give me paper and ink to draw, to help with my nightmares," he explained and Nine looked confused. "…Papa?"

The Artist nodded, "Our creator. You met him… Right? Everyone meets him." Nine didn't have the nerve to tell Six about the man in the attic.

"…I don't think so… But I think I was asleep a long time," he quickly explained.

Six bought this well enough and continued, "I sometimes see things before they happen. Sometimes things that already happened. It's hard to tell sometimes." He trailed off as Nine looked to his closer hand.

Nine glanced upwards when Six stopped talking, then followed by pointing it out and asking, "Can I look at your hands?"

Six reached a hand closer and quietly pointed out, "They're strange…"

Almost immediately Nine corrected, "I think they're incredible. It must be easy to write."

"I-It is… But I don't write that much," Six answered as he felt a heat entering his cheeks. Nine looked over his hands, looking them over slowly and humming to himself.

He stopped and smiled reassuringly, "That's pretty amazing! I'd like to see more of your drawings if you can show me." The Artist eagerly stood and rushed to the walls, looking to find one that Nine would enjoy, and they stayed awake for hours.

* * *

The Cat Beast plugged the wires into the small body that hung before it. This was it; the kinks weren't as important as long as it could finally get into the Sanctuary. He didn't need them or any more time to waste, this was what he needed to come, and it braced itself for the new body that it would accept. It had been certain it replicated every close enough, transporting most of its needed parts over, and then in one last moment… Machines didn't regret.

It didn't feel even the slightest pang of horror until it suddenly awoke in an incomplete body.

* * *

Two waited until almost everyone was asleep before he slipped into the bucket lift. One was in his quarters, Eight too, Five was in bed, and Nine and Six were slumped together asleep in Six's bedroom. Seeing that they were all safe, Two decided to go downstairs and retrieve the items that had been left behind earlier. He stepped into the bucket lift and lowered himself down into the lower Cathedral. It was almost completely quiet until he got to ground floor and heard something from the workshop.

Looking closer he couldn't see anything and approached with the thought that it was a Stitchpunk, perhaps Seven. He made his way to the curtain and opened it a crack, trying to see inside with his somewhat weaker optics. It looked like a figure on the other side of the room was scuffling through the things. A thimble full of writing utensils fell over onto the floor and went ignored. The contents of a cabinet were dragged out as well.

Two opened the curtain wider, "Seven?" A small bit of light fell onto the figure and he could see part of a bone helmet. Yet it stiffened at his voice and said nothing, heavy panting could be heard. As the Inventor stepped in he felt his foot land on something wet. Dread filled him and he turned to the switch to turn on the lights. The Christmas lights filled the room in a warm glow, but it only revealed a terrifying scene. It was oil that stained the floor and the workshop was almost completely trashed. It wasn't until he looked towards the figure that full dread suddenly sunk in.

It was definitely not Seven and hunched over behind the open cabinet door. Its fabric was a patchwork of what looked like burlap, but seemed stitched unevenly and elsewise shredded. Oil stained its fabric and suddenly a hand of sharp claws gripped the cabinet door. It slowly was closed and revealed the hunched over being's face, which was obscured with a bone helmet that looked almost like Seven's, but carved in a different way. It wasn't until Two saw the striking red in the gazing optic that he knew something awful had occurred.

The creature let out a growl and aggressively moved forward, standing to its full height which was a good deal taller than Two. He could now see more of its body and could see more oil leaking out, his optics only briefly dropping to look at the black liquid. In this moment the creature leapt forward and crashed into Two. The older Stitchpunk collapsed to the floor as the Stitchpunk Beast ran over him and took out of the workshop. He gasped and stumbled to his feet after it, pushing out of the curtain long enough to see it continue down the aisle and head out the front door.

Two was relieved that it didn't enter the lift, as he would've had no way to warn the others, but he still found himself rushing after it. It had Cat Beast accents that jarred him. The eyes gave away that it was some form of a Beast and being that the Cat Beast just happened to have attacked so recently, it all pointed to the worse-case scenario. He half ran and half limped to the front doors only to freeze. The Beast had collapse part way through fleeing and was now collapsed on the ground. The light was absent from it optics and seemed to confirm his suspicion.

Slowly Two inched further and nudged it with his foot, " _Well, that's a relief._ " While his thoughts were pleased to see the Beast was currently inactive, he still was on guard. " _What has it done to itself? It must be the same Beast, or I suppose it must be… It looks like a Stitchpunk, except…"_ He crouched down and looked at its body around its middle. Everything was just slightly off and the oil was leaking from somewhere. Suddenly the unconsciousness worried Two. " _Something must be wrong. I can stop the leak of oil and try to…"_

His thoughts cut off as he realized what he was considering. This thing was a byproduct of that monster that had so mercilessly dragged him into the factory. Who knows what it would've done to him if he hadn't been saved. But on the other hand, Two couldn't live with himself if he had let something willingly die. He slowly, carefully lowered down to lift the arm of the creature, bringing it around his back to lift him. He then carried it back to his workshop and prepared to work, getting it onto the workbench table.

"Now let's see…" He swung his lens over his eyes to magnify his vision and opened the Cat Beast Stitchpunk's front. The inside was very odd; most of it looked close to a Stitchpunk body, but everything was just a little askew. Two knew he could fix that. He could also patch the spot where oil was leaking. Stitchpunks didn't normally have oil circulating their body like this, but he knew for a fact that some Beasts required it. He could fix everything that was wrong if he really worked at it, and so he did.

Thankfully the creature was able to be put under magnet even in his unconscious state. Once sedated fully, Two began to work. Hours ticked by on the hands of the pocket watch that sat in the corner of the room. He had to reapply magnet more than three times to make sure that he didn't rouse, but by the end of the massive surgery his hand was twitching and fidgeting. Two learned a lot more from the body than he thought he would. Firstly, it looked male; females would have a different shape to their metal.

Secondly, the fabric was definitely scrap fabric, as he had to patch a few places that were torn. Such as his side, the back of one of his arms, and his back. Finally, from the crude but precise work, Two had no doubt that the Cat Beast could've made this body. It was still disconcerting that a machine had learned how to create. It was even more confusing why it would create in such a way. Physically the Cat Beast had an advantage over the Stitchpunks; its massive size. So it surprised Two why it would make itself into this form.

It left it slower, weaker, and it didn't seem to want to be camouflaging anything, so it didn't make sense to Two. He shrugged it off and continued to work in a desperate effort to save its life. After an hour or so, the Cat Beast being was secured, laying on the cot under heavy sedation as Two sat nearby. This was the thing that kidnapped him, that stalked them all, now just some sort of Stitchpunk clone. Two was almost ashamed at the mix of curiosity and pity that budded inside of him.

He wondered if it could be possible that the Beast became a Stitchpunk simply because it wanted to. That certainly made him curious. However, he snapped out of it. He had a more pressing matter to attend to at the moment; keeping the Beast being sedated and trying to stay awake. He moved closer and gave it another dose of magnet, watching as its claw slowly flexed on the cot, kneading into it. Two knew he needed help and only his apprentice would suffice.

He rose into the Sanctuary and kept an optic out, making sure that One wasn't awake and didn't notice anything, and then headed to Five's room. He shook the one eyed male awake, "Five, I need your help."

The Healer yawned and rubbed over his patch, "Two? What- What's wrong?" The hitch was yet another yawn and Two forced a smile, but it was fake and the buttoned male could see through it.

"Nothing yet… But I need your assistance. I need you in the workshop." The Healer straightened immediately and followed his mentor out.

Nine had fallen asleep in Six's nook sometime earlier. He was laying with his head on the bedding that Six had fallen asleep on; the Artist had curled onto the bedding at some point and was now sound asleep. It was Two and Five's hushed talking that roused the zippered male. He sat upwards, sending a brief glance back to Six, and headed out of the cubby. The two Stitchpunks were boarding the bucket lift when they spotted Nine approaching.

"Nine…" Five quietly started, "Did we wake you? W-Were we that loud?" Nine shook his head and Two beckoned him.

"Come with us. I… I have something to show you both. It's of dire importance that we keep this between us as well." At the older male's insistence, Nine silently agreed and followed him, heading down the lift and into the workshop. As the younger two entered into the workshop though, they both had completely different reactions at seeing the creature on the cot. Five gasped and stumbled back while Nine's optics widened and mouth paused in an agape motion. Both of them could only stare at the creature, unsure what it was.

"Two… Is this…?" Nine choked out in questioning.

"I believe it is," Two murmured in response. "I know for a fact it is. I've been working on him most of the night." He dropped onto the stool tiredly as Five inched closer, resting a hand on his back protectively.

"What happened? Did he… Did he make you or did you find him like this, or…?"

Two shook his head, "He was in here going through our things and tried to flee when I confronted him… But he was bleeding out oil and fell unconscious."

Five's head snapped over as he noticed Nine get closer to the Cat being, "Wait, don't!"

The zippered male recoiled slightly and Two explained further. "No, Five, he's properly sedated. Don't worry about him…" He followed with a tiny sigh and his voice became meeker. "But I can't guarantee how he will be when he rouses again… I'm hoping his aggression was based off of his injuries, but being what he is- I expect him to be relatively wild. Which is why I need the help of you two." They both paid more attention to Two after this point. Both of them still looked rather uneasy.

"I… I'm afraid I can't stay awake all night. If you two could help me take shifts, I would be rather grateful," Two apologetically explained.

Nine perked at the comment, "Sure, Two. I slept for a couple of hours already so I can keep the first shift. The Inventor was thankful and went to the tiny cot in the corner used for late night working. "I just can't believe this," Nine murmured as he looked over the Cat Beast's new body. "Have they ever done this?"

Five shook his head, "N-No. I've never seen anything like this!... I don't understand how he could do it, anyway."

They fell silent to let Two sleep, trying to keep an eye on the new being on the cot. It was all they could do for the moment.

* * *

 **Mable: The next chapter will be posted rather soon! And with it, we will see what shall come of the Cat Beast's new body. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3: Realization

**Mable: Here we are! Things are about to get… A little tenser. Sometimes you can't hide things forever, you know? Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Three: Realization_

Nine and Five hadn't anticipated how tired they actually were from the day before. It was unclear which of them actually did fall asleep and leave the being unattended, but it did happen. By morning the Cat was awake and he had no intention of staying. Of course the three were at his mercy, one on a cot, one slumped in a corner, and one asleep against the workbench, but he wasn't willing to risk it. He was alive and fixed; that was all that mattered. Slowly he climbed down from the medical cot and slipped past the curtain into the Cathedral.

He then broke into a sprint as he saw the coast was clear, and continued out of the Cathedral. It was his heavy footsteps that roused Five who raised his head from the workbench. He sent a lazy look over towards the cot and immediately his optic swelled in panic.

"Oh no…" he wasn't even afraid of waking Two; he jumped to his feet and shook Nine awake. "Nine, it's gone!" Nine roused quickly and Five suddenly noticed the footsteps. "It's outside! I-It might be going to the bucket lift!" Nine bounded out the curtain without a word. They could see a split second of its form before it disappeared out of the front entrance.

"There!" Nine pointed out and they hurried, but the Cat had gotten ahead. Now outside, the Cat started to explore the Emptiness from a new angle, interested in getting away but not ready to go running back to the Factory. Whatever plan he had was temporarily pushed aside as he tried to figure out how to use his new body. Bipedal movement was the easiest way to move and he wandered around slightly hunched over, trying to adjust quickly and smoothly.

The Cathedral got further and further away as he began to explore the ruined city at this new angle. It was his curiosity, in fact, that led him to stumbling upon something of immediate interest. There was a building close to the Cathedral that was large, intact, and held a large courtyard at it entrance. He was going to simply look in and leave, but something caught his attention. His eyes focused in on a familiar pale figure in the front courtyard. He recognized her instantly and suddenly everything else was pushed aside so that he could a closer look.

The Warrior was thrusting and twisting her spear forwards as though at an invisible assailant. She turned and shifted her body, dodging attacks that weren't there, and curiosity increased. The Cat crouched low to the ground as he slid behind some of the fallen statues. A low purr grew in his chest and vibrated through the vocal module inside; it was good to hear that at least this had made it to his new body. He continued to move closer and by time he was peering around a broken, cement base, Seven had set her staff down and was doing stretches.

The Cat didn't know what excited him more; the fact that he was this close without her noticing or the fact that she had set down her weapon. Already the body was worth the trouble it put him through. He moved a bit closer, his red optics glowing in interest, and his foot accidently stepped on a piece of cement that crumbled audibly. Seven's head snapped over and her optics suddenly took in the sight of what was coming her way. It was the last thing she expected and for a split second, Seven was actually frozen where she was, staring into the red optics of the creature.

Knowing he was revealed, the Cat staked forward a little closer, an eager delight pounding in his chest. He had a delighted smile on his face, though he had no idea that it was even there and it was hidden by his helmet. Seven grabbed for her spear and the Cat leapt at her. In a quick movement she pointed the back of her spear, the point without the blade, upwards and caught the creature's middle. In a strange motion she managed to use the staff as leverage and send the Cat over and behind her. He landed heavily in a roll, but regained his crouched position quickly.

Seven was now in her fighting stance; her spear aiming forwards and her shield raised to block her body off. The Cat wasn't even detoured the slightest and moved in, raising onto his proper legs. The spear stabbed towards him and he deflected it with his claws. She then brought it across her body, holding it with both hands, and tried to shove him back. The Cat caught it with his claws and there was a sort of tug of war between the two. He wasn't fighting as hard as he could; as far as he was concerned he was just playing with his prey.

That was, until a surge of unsteadiness suddenly hit him. His head spun lightly and his vision briefly went askew. This allowed Seven to get a sudden advantage and she shoved him back, leaping back and taking another stance. He couldn't resist but go a little harder, eagerly ignoring the multiple signals his body was giving. He pounced on her, tackling her onto the stone as she eagerly fought back. As he was kicked over and she pinned him down, he noticed for a split second that he couldn't feel his claws, or hands nearly as well. Then his vision flickered.

Then everything went dark.

Optics opened in alarm, settled into a red glow, and suddenly the Cat was awake again. He laid there on the stones on the floor of the courtyard on his side. His head was pounding and his body felt awkwardly bent. A group of Stitchpunks stood together; Seven, Nine, Five, and two smaller Stitchpunks.

"They were here? The whole time?" Five smiled and approached the smaller two, ruffling a hood.

Nine cracked a smile, "Twins!"

Five chuckled and looked back to him, "Yup. These are our twins." They peeked almost hesitantly around Five to look at Nine.

"I've been having a hard time trying to keep them off of him," Seven explained with a sigh. Then she happened to glance over and noticed he was awake. "Speak of the Beast. He's awake." Five flinched a bit and seemed to suddenly coddle onto Three and Four. The Cat fidgeted and noticed only now that his arms were tied behind his back. He felt an inward groan that turned to a slight growl when Nine moved in suddenly with his staff in his hand. Nine hesitated briefly and Seven strode over, lifting the tied male by the arm.

"Look, I don't agree with it. I don't think Two's really thinking this over and I am going to try and talk him out of it… But I'll help you take it back to the Cathedral. If only to make sure it doesn't attack anyone again," Seven spoke to the others. She didn't seem happy about the decision at all, but she would temporarily go with it. Nine took the other arm and helped hold the Cat who, considering the situation, seemed rather nonchalant. He was still weary and would rather wait for an adequate time to properly escape.

Something about this new form forced him to think through things a little more intently. He knew this now and learned from his mistake, but wasn't fully detoured.

"We'll come back and visit really soon," Five insisted to the twins with a warm smile. They nodded eagerly and looked past towards Nine, who they had only been able to briefly catalogue earlier. Three waved to him and he gave a brief one back and a smile. Then they were off and walking. It wasn't too far back to the Cathedral and soon they were inside and approaching the Workshop.

Two met them halfway. "What happened? Are you all alright?" Seven nodded and released the Cat. Nine did too and the male knelt down on the floor in a seemingly relaxed position.

"We're fine. I managed to subdue him pretty quickly," Seven explained before looking more serious. "Two, what is this? What are you thinking sheltering this…? This thing that has tormented us all? That trapped both of us, injured both of us, and is still obviously dangerous." Displeasure oozed out of her voice as she glared back at the former Beast.

He stared back at her, going still, and the second she looked away he began to shift. The Cat fidgeted his shoulders and worked one of his hands around enough to get a claw against his binding. He began to lightly slice at the thread holding his arms securely together. Seven looked to Two with a sympathetic look, "Two, I think I understand, I know you like to help those in need, but _this_ doesn't need your effort. After all it did, how did it even become this?!"

Two could only shrug a little, "I'm still not fully sure. All I know is that he did it himself. The works shows it."

"So it's shoddy," Seven guessed flatly. Two didn't answer her and both of the others got an awkward look. "I could only expect as much… Fine, Two. Do what you feel as best. If you can keep it off the street, then it's less of a threat for us. However, if I find it anywhere near the Library again, I will take it out." She dropped her helmet over her face to punctuate her point and hurried off, sending one last glare towards Cat before she left.

Five waved after her and then rested a hand on Two's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine, Five. Don't worry about me," Two smiled to him. "I just hate seeing Seven upset like this. We only just got her back into our lives again; I don't want to drive her back away."

Nine looked curious as he turned towards the two, "Why did Seven leave? Was it because of the rules?"

Five looked a bit saddened and Two went on to explain, "Not necessarily the rules. One and Seven were in a constant state of fighting since we came to the Cathedral." The Cat continued to slice through the threads binding his hands together. "What eventually happened was that it elevated to the point that Seven left with the twins. The twins have always been closest to her, so we weren't too surprised," Two exhaled softly. "I just wish that it would've went differently… But we can't dwell on the- _Stop_!"

Nine and Five both jumped and looked over to see who Two was yelling after. Out of seemingly nowhere, the Cat leapt to his feet and sprinted down towards the entrance. Five struggled with whether or not to grab his harpoon, Nine cried out and started to run, and Two called after him.

"Come back!" he limped after them both. "Nine, don't, let me!" He insisted to the younger male who stopped in confusion as Two hurried past. "Wait, stop! You're in no state to be out there in the Emptiness!" He was personally shocked that the Beast could still run this soon after surgery. Right as it was about to head out into the world, Two stumbled to a stop. "Please, don't go. Where are you going to go out there?" Then he was out of sight. Two exhaled wearily and jogged after at a slower pace, expecting him to be long gone.

Then he stepped outside the entrance. To his surprise, the Cat has stopped in its tracks and was still standing there. It was completely motionless, staring out at the city in front of it. Something about Two's final words had caused it to be unable to continue forwards. It didn't understand, but suddenly thought back through what was said. Then in one instance it appeared in its head.

" _Where am I going to go?"_

The stray thought terrified him; he had never really questioned something like this. Usually he just did as programming and instinct suggested, but there was a question, and it startled him. His optics flickered briefly and the redness died in them, leaving them like any normal Stitchpunk's; save the pupil shape. Cat tried to readdress this sentient thought with a look at basic programming, at his actual function, but he suddenly found it gone. It was as though the web of information passed from his Creator was gone.

He knew he was, he knew what had happened, but his commands were gone. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He couldn't even figure out where he wanted to go next. His guiding tasks were all missing. As of now Cat absolutely had no idea what he could do, which of his options would lead to death and which wouldn't.

Two noticed how his optics were flickering in and out before they settled and approached his side. He reached out and touched his arm, showing his usual patience in the gesture. Cat flinched at it and his optics darted over to stare at the shorter male. Indeed, with his height, being slight taller than about Nine's height, Two looked quite a bit shorter than him. In a way this did make Two much less threatening, and maybe that was why he felt a slight willingness to submit to him. Cat stared and studied, and Two smiled affectionately.

"Come inside with me. You should get some rest," the Inventor beckoned and tugged on his arm. Cat gave in and started to follow him back inside. As they wandered in, Nine and Five gained clear looks of shock to see his willingness, but also seemed to be somewhat relieved. "It's alright, you two! False alarm!" Two called to them with a wide smile as he coaxed the former Beast to the Workshop. Once inside, Cat climbed onto the cot and eagerly curled into himself, tiredly laying there in a defeated slump. Two briefly patted his back before heading to the workbench.

"Well, now that we're settled, I should probably tell One about our new addition," Two suggested and Nine verbally disagreed.

"Two, I don't know. One might… You know," he looked over towards Five who looked back silently.

Two didn't seem fully convinced by his words. "One can be stubborn, but I'm sure I could get through to him," the Inventor insisted and Nine again looked to Five. He wanted to let the words slip out, but he didn't know if he could. Two had every right to know exactly what One said. Just thinking back on it infuriated Nine and he spoke.

"Two, the truth is… One gave us some problems when we went to find you," Nine tentatively spoke.

Two looked back in confusion, "He did?"

Nine's grip on the Lightstaff tightened, "Yeah. Some of the things he said… Two, if we hadn't have snuck out then One wasn't going to let us go. He was determined that you were gone, he wouldn't let us go, he wouldn't answer questions-." Two's look of shock cut off Nine's beginning ramble. He forced himself to get back on track. "He practically forced Five to do nothing. He wouldn't even let me explain."

He became a little angrier and continued on, "I told him you were alive and he just kept saying that we couldn't go out, that it was your fault you went out and got captured, and when he wasn't threatening us with Eight he was just completely dismissing me! I won't even get into how he handled Five…" He then looked to Five who had his head hung in shame. "The way One acted when we go home was not how he was acting when Five brought me here and stitched me. He was just- I don't even know what to call it."

Then Five actually spoke in a quiet tone, "Assertive. Very assertive." Maybe this was an understatement to what Nine would've said, but the fact that Five admitted it said more than anything else. The Inventor turned around and faced the workbench. Cat turned over and watched the scene with a blank but curious look.

"Two, I'm sorry. Five and I didn't want to tell you because we knew… We didn't want to hurt you," Nine quietly admitted. He felt guilt welling inside and waited for a response. Two's hands tightened into fists on the workbench as he stood there silently.

"…Two?" Five asked quietly and suddenly Two turned and strode towards the curtain.

"If you would excuse me, I need to have a talk with One." There was something on his voice than neither Five nor Nine expected, and that was anger.

Five gawked after his mentor while Nine hurried after him, "Two, wait, I'll come with you." He paused at the door, "Five, can you watch-?" He cut off with a point towards Cat.

The Healer looked towards the former beast who stared back. "Yeah, umm, sure. I'll keep an eye out." Cat made a metallic noise in response, almost a purr.

Nine hurried after Two and boarded the bucket lift. "Let me get the crank," he offered and started to turn the crank and raise the lift. Nine didn't feel like it was appropriate to say anything, especially when Two gripped the edge of the bucket lift so hard. As soon as the lift stopped in the Sanctuary, One came into view. He stepped down from his throne and approached the two with accusation on his narrowed optics. Two stepped right out of the lift and approached, a firm glare on his features.

"How _dare_ you!" he snapped. For a split second One got a look of confusion. Eight, who was sharpening his knife, looked upwards in surprise. Then Two continued, taking a step forwards. "I have been your right hand man since the beginning! I took care of you when you were bedridden with a fever, I stayed by your bedside, and this is how you thank me?! You didn't even try to come for me, you wouldn't let anyone try, and you had the audacity to make it my fault!" Two's vocal volume only increased as he continued to tell the Leader exactly what he thought.

"And I wouldn't nearly be so offended, except for what you did instead; wasting your time harassing my apprentice and our new family member! Acting like you are so high and mighty, when you're nothing but a bellowing blowhard!"

It was now that One finally spoke, "That's enough!" His voice echoed out, but the Inventor didn't even try to stop and was only more infuriated.

"Is it, One?! Good thing that you can remind me when I should be silent, when I could go out, and when I should be _left outside_!" Nine looked to Eight; the Guard was just staring in shock. He then looked over towards Six's cubby and could see the Artist peeking out. Neither of them made a move and he too felt frozen in place.

"It's your own fault! Searching out in that wasteland, looking for nothing important, risking _our_ safety for your trinkets!"

Two snapped back, "My _trinkets?!_ One, are you completely delusional?! Do you think our supplies just appear out of thin air?! No, I get them myself, for myself and you! If I didn't do it, you certainly wouldn't!"

"It's an unneeded risk!" One defended.

Two scoffed, "It's an excuse to be lazy, more like! You sit on your throne doing nothing all day while dictating everyone else!" He suddenly thrust his finger against One's upper buckle in an accusing jab.

One's narrowed optics widened slightly, "You are hysterical! What were you doing down in that workshop!?"

Two growled back, "The same thing I always do, One, and that's everything that you won't do!" One looked about ready to snap with something particularly bitter and loud, but Two beat him to it.

"I have been undeniably loyal to you, and you reward my loyalty with spite! And this is after you drove Seven away!" One almost sputtered and Two went in for a harder strike. "You purposefully drove Seven and the twins away into the Emptiness, because you were so prideful and full of yourself that you couldn't stand not having everyone under control! Any leader that singlehandedly drives away all of their followers is not just a tyrant-!" His optics went cold as he spat the last words, "but a failure!"

The throne room fell into silence promptly afterwards. Two was panting, One was staring at him with widened optics, and the three other Stitchpunks were silent. The Inventor let himself calm down and continued, his voice quiet and cold, "Now I need to go back down to the workshop to take care of our newest addition. If you excuse me." He turned on his heel and stormed to the bucket lift. Nine stepped out and watched him pass, noticing the hidden sadness on his face. Two disappeared as the bucket lift lowered and Nine then looked to One.

For a few moments, One just stood there staring after the shorter Stitchpunk. He then noticed the three Stitchpunks watching him and cleared his voice module. "Get back to whatever it is you were doing. It is over," One commanded before turning on his heel and hurrying off towards the stairs and towards his room. Nine watched him go before looking back to Eight, who still looked dumbstruck before returning to sharpening his knife. Then the zippered male noticed that Six was no longer peeking out and approached his cubby.

He stepped in and could immediately see Six over in the corner, seemingly hiding out of view. Six looked to him with widened, mismatched optics, clearly fearful after the yelling. When he realized that it was just Nine he suddenly sprinted over and clung to him in a tight hug. It was so sudden that it caused Nine to stumble a step or two back in place, but he soon hugged Six back, feeling him shake in his arms.

"Oh Six," he sighed sadly. "It's okay. It'll be okay." He held Six close and comforted him. He could at least do this much.

"I-Is Two… Is he still mad?" Six meekly asked and Nine exhaled.

"I don't know, Six. He's not mad at you, I know that much." Nine continued trying to comfort him. He couldn't fix what was going on between Two and One, he couldn't completely integrate Cat instantly, and he couldn't change what happened to Two outside of the can. He couldn't change what he hadn't done. All he could do was this, comforting Six, and maybe it would make him feel less at fault.

* * *

 **Mable: Oh dear, it looks like one step forwards and two steps back, doesn't it? Cat becomes more passive for the moment while Two… Anyway, the next chapter will be posted soon. I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4: Defending Choices

**Mable: Here we are, returning to the saga of the confused Cat Beast and his adorable caretaker, Two. Let's be honest, you come for the premise but you stay for Two. XD Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Four: Defending Choices_

Two appeared back in the Workshop to find Five and Cat both staring at him. He forced himself to smother his emotions. "It's fine now, I spoke to One," he insisted and crossed to Cat. "Now then. Let's take a look at how everything's holding up. Let me just take off your helmet…" He slid the bone helmet off of the former Beast's head. Cat didn't seem bothered by it and even bowed his head to assist.

Five took a step forward, "What did One say?"

A slight anxiousness passed Two's face, "…Surprisingly not much." Though it was the truth. He checked Cat's pupils, trying to focus in. "Hmm… Five, can you bring me my spare hat?" Five nodded and got it from the side, then handed it to his mentor.

"I guess you noticed that Nine used parts from your hat. We tried to save it, but it was on its last legs," Five remarked awkwardly. Now he was a little embarrassed to admit that he so willingly let Nine use it without trying to fix it."

"Oh yes! I saw that Nine used some of the parts, but the Light Staff is worth it. I'm certain that I will be able to gather the replacement pieces to finish this one and work on an extra soon enough," Two explained and put the lens on his face. He then checked Cat's optics, tapping the side of them. Cat's optics responded with a flicker of red and a twitch. "Hmm, that's a bit strange… But I don't think it is problematic. Now let me check the internal parts. Five, you will want to watch this." He coaxed Cat to lay down and then opened its front, which he had tied closed for the time being.

"Now since you are the Healer you will need to become familiar with his body, because his body is only similar to a Stitchpunk's. Here, look." Two started to point out the parts, "This is the voice module, this is his skeleton, and this strange part seems to be filled with oil. Oil doesn't seem to need to be added, but he does seem to become disoriented when oil leaks out. I don't think a full loss of oil would cause death, but it would probably leave him in the same state he was in when he first arrived." He continued to point out things.

Cat felt slightly uncomfortable. Not enough to do anything, but something about the two studying his insides made him feel like he was defenseless. Nobody had poked at him this intently since his creator had, except maybe when he was unconscious. Unable to do anything to drive them back, he had a feeling they would jump at any noise he made or swat, he finally just rolled over in the other direction. This basically cut off Two and Five's access. They stared for a few seconds before the Inventor broke out into laughter.

"I guess that means our lesson is over!" Two teased in a playful fashion. He then patted Cat's arm and turned towards Five. "We should probably move him into the Sanctuary soon. Then we can make him a proper room and bed. The quicker we get him integrated the better." Usually Two would be a little more cautious, but for whatever reason he couldn't understand he trusted the Beast. Though this led into a new train of thought. "I wonder what exactly he would be now… A Beastpunk? Not fully Stitchpunk, not fully Beast?" The Inventor hummed in questioning.

Five smiled at his mentor's good mood. He could just tell when he came down that there was some sort of dispute, so he was happy to see him recovering. "I could move some of the stuff out of the storage room and we can move him in there for a little while. I don't think Nine will mind staying in my room a little longer," Five suggested.

Two seemed content with the suggestion. "That's a great idea," he congratulated and beckoned Cat off of the cot. The lanky being climbed off and stood, replaced his helmet, and staggering out of the room with them. Cat still seemed to be in a state of shock. He listened to Two's offers, followed him attentively, but seemed most of the time to be passively idle. It didn't concern Two; he could only expect that this entire ordeal was difficult. That look it had gotten while outside, the red color fading from its optics, it signaled some change in emotional state.

Two could only hope that being affectionate and reassuring could keep it from reverting into its previous state. "This is our bucket lift. Here, watch your step," Two introduced to Cat while Five watched. "When you turn this crank it turns the lift. Here, watch." The shorter Stitchpunk took ahold of the crank and began to turn it, the lift slowly raising in the shaft. The difficulty of turning the crank and raising the lift was about equal to how much weight was in the lift; Two could still do it, but Cat's unexpected weight made him a little sluggish.

"Two, I can get it," Five interrupted helpfully. "No, no. I'm fine. I've done this plenty of- Oh." Two cut off as Cat curiously looked over the mechanism of the lift. After a few moments of tapping and studying it, he took the crank. To Five's surprise and Two's delight, Cat started to operate the crank. More out of curiosity than doing it for Five or Two. Either way, they rode to the top and then stepped into the throne room. One was still gone, but Eight was still at his post and Nine was still in with Six.

Cat began to study the room intently, curiosity returning as it studied its new location. It approached the cauldron off to the side while Nine looked out, Six peeking around behind him. The Artist gasped as he started at the male by the cauldron, knowing who he was.

"It's okay, Six," Nine murmured to him and then looked towards the two. "Is… Everything fine?" When Two smiled to him he felt instant relief, knowing the fight was over.

"Oh, yes, it's all fine," the Inventor added in. He then started to approach Cat who was looking in at the coals.

Five approached Nine and Six, noticing their previous hesitant looks. "I'm afraid to ask, but… How bad was it?"

Nine's mouth clenched slightly, "Huge. Most of it was Two too." Five looked surprised by this and Nine added with, "I don't even think One knew how to react."

The three stood there awkwardly, Five rubbing his neck, and Six quietly spoke. "I've never seen Two mad before… Did you tell him what One said?"

Both nodded and now Nine suddenly focused in. "Speaking of which, are you okay? You were alone with One and Eight while we were gone. They didn't take anything out on you, did they?" The zippered male's paranoia was rewarded with a shake of the head.

"No. They didn't even ask me… I guess One and Eight don't think I would pay attention," Six didn't seem to bothered. Instead, he looked to Nine, "Since it's okay, want to draw with me again?" He had an eager smile, hoping Nine would agree. Five was prepared to ask him to join him in preparing the new room, but hearing Six's inquiry caused him to pull back. He knew Six didn't get as much attention as he needed and he didn't want to take Nine away.

Especially after Nine gave his answer. "Sure, Six!" Nine smiled in a friendly way and looked to Five. "I guess I'll catch up with you and Two later. Two probably needs some time to focus with… Him, anyway. Did Two decide on a name or…?"

"Not really. We're not even sure what to call what he is yet," Five admitted and looked over. Two was currently explaining to Cat why they kept the cauldron. Cat was leaning against the edge of the cauldron on his folded arms, watching Two as he continued to explain. He wasn't sure how to keep a conversation, he wasn't even yet sure how to speak even, but Two seemed fine enough on his own. Occasionally Cat sent a glance back at the large doll in the corner. He sort of recognized him and knew he was a threat, but preferred to just keep an eye on him.

Though what he didn't see was the actual threat coming down the stairs.

"Oh no, it's One," Five whispered to Nine and Six and pointed out the Leader coming.

Nine tensed a little, "Should one of us try to distract him, or…?"

Six chimed in at this, "It won't work." The Artist got a look of both dread and slight exasperation. "I'm just going to be over there…" Six then disappeared into his cubby to hide. Nine looked after him in concern, but then after One who stepped into the throne room and immediately noticed the new addition. He started to stride over towards the two seemingly unaware Stitchpunks. But they weren't unaware. Cat could hear the footsteps and Two already knew who would be coming at them.

His kindly face grew firm again as he took a deep breath, then turned to face One head on. His blank stare was unwelcoming, a change from the Inventor's usual exterior. One returned it with his own glare; a mix of haughtiness, self-imposed power, and suspicion clearly visible in it. "So this is the new addition you casually dropped on me after you were done with your paroxysm," One remarked in a questioning tone, then looked to Cat. It took him about ten seconds to realize that there was something very un-Stitchpunk-like about the male.

Cat stared back, mouth clenched into what was either a strange smile or an uncomfortable scowl. One's optics narrowed, "What is this? This can't be…" Two was actually genuinely surprised that One caught on. Though his surprise turned to panic when the Leader called back, "Eight, get over here."

The shorter male stepped forwards in front of the former Beast. "One, stop. You don't understand."

Yet One was fully determined, "That _thing's_ eyes tell me enough!" Eight stood from his post and started over towards One, his knife in hand.

Nine hurried forwards before Five could stop him. "It's not what you think! Look, he's not aggressive, there's no reason to start threatening him!"

One turned on him immediately, optics narrowing, "What is that supposed to mean?!... Oh, I see, so you already knew there was something amiss! Look at him, he's the spitting image of the Beast!"

Nine growled back, "That's because he was the beast, but he isn't anymore. He's a Stitchpunk just like we are." Two knew Nine was trying to help, but he could only wish that the younger male hadn't said that. Cat flinched behind him at the words; he had a good idea that 'the beast' was a title he didn't actually want.

One turned back on Two, "You made the Beast into a Stitchpunk doppelganger?! What were you thinking?!"

Two sputtered to defend himself, "I- He changed himself. When I found him he was injured and needed help, but Nine is correct. He is not planning on hurting anyone anymore, not if we can teach him elsewise." Eight seemed particularly horrified and appalled. He stared down Cat with a glare while Cat stared back, keeping an eye out just in case the Guard made a move at him.

The Leader, meanwhile, slammed his staff onto the floor. "You let this thing fool you and put us all at risk! All it will have to do is stay quiet and you would let it attack us all in our sleep, stab us in the back, how simple minded can you be?!" For a moment Two was unable to respond. He sputtered, noticing Eight stepping in a bit, and felt something on his shoulder. It was Cat's claw. Cat was still staring down Eight, the smile definitely a grimace now, but had put a protective claw on Two's shoulder.

Too trusting or not, Two regained his voice and stood strong against One. "Yes, One, I am a fool… Blindly trusting someone like that, you showed me how wrong I could be when you stabbed me in the back." The coldness returned along with the hurt, the frustration, and this time it was both that slipped out. "I trust this- Cat. I trust Cat more than I trust you. At least Cat never hid his intentions when he locked me in that cage."

The room went incredibly quiet after this point. One stared at Two, Two stared at the floor, Nine glared at One, Five stared in shock, Eight was torn, and Cat seemed rather confused on what exactly was happening. Eventually he actually shook Two's shoulder, trying to get a reaction, but the Inventor just turned his head slightly in his direction.

"I won't have that thing in my Sanctuary," One firmly stated, his voice slightly wavering.

This finally triggered Nine to snap, "Fine then! He can just go stay at the Library with the twins! In fact, I'll go with him!" Eight sent Nine a glare, though more of an exasperated one than a threatening one. This outburst didn't help, but by now something different was going on. One and Two were completely quiet as they stood there, almost as though in a stalemate.

Then Two spoke, "I understand." His voice sounded broken. In one instance Two had completely given up even trying. "Let me just get some things…" Two turned and started into the back. Cat followed him, his head tilting as he tried to understand why the Inventor suddenly stopped.

One's look was completely unreadable. "Boss?" Eight asked in concern. "…What am I supposed to do?" He above all the others wanted to make sure that One was alright, but it became apparent that he simply wasn't.

The Leader suddenly straightened. "What?... Ah, yes, just keep an optic out," One responded and turned to approach his throne. Nine glared at him as he did before being distracted by Five's soft murmur of horror.

"Did you hear him? He sounded so… Oh, Two." It was as though Two's response had broken Five's large heart.

Nine looked to him in surprise and then rested a hand on his back. "Should we go after him?" He wanted to check with Five who eagerly nodded.

"Y-Yeah, we really need to. I can't even imagine…" Nine nodded and looked in at Six first. The Artist was sitting in the corner with his head resting on his knees.

"Six." Six's head raised and he looked to Nine. "We're going after Two, I'll be back in a little while. Then we'll draw." Six nodded meekly and curled into himself once more. Nine hated to leave him, but he had to, and they went after Two.

Two entered into his bedroom and collapsed on the stool, head in hands, resting against the Workbench. He could feel his insides clench at everything that had been said and what he would have to do. He would have to leave with Cat; he could only wish that the only reason was because of Cat. The former Beast moved behind him and watched in confusion as Two sat there. He didn't really understand what was happening and only knew that the doll was upset. Frankly, he had no clue what to do in this situation. So he did the only thing that came to mind.

Cat laid his hands on Two's back and began to knead into him. Maybe the motion made Cat feel better instead of Two, he could already feel the tension starting to ease, but he assumed it would do something. Then Five and Nine suddenly walked in. Cat didn't care that they saw him, but Five and Nine's concerned looks soon turned to confused ones. "Uh…" Nine started and decided not to finish.

Instead, Five moved in, "Oh Two, I… What are we going to do?" He put his arm around his shoulder affectionately, holding his mentor safely.

Two looked upwards at the younger male. The look on his face was filled with sadness, "I will take Cat to the Library and… I suppose, stay there."

Five gasped at the comment, "Two, no! You can't- You can't leave! Nine didn't mean- He didn't mean _you_ leaving!" He was firm with his words, as though he was suddenly willing to fight for it, but Two shook his head.

"Five, this is beyond Cat. One… I don't think I should stay here with One after what happened. I suppose maybe after a while, after time passes, I can return, but for now this seems like what's best. I don't want to cause a further rift in the Sanctuary," Two explained.

Five looked horrified at the thought. The stubbornness grew, "No. No, you're not leaving. You can't leave." Five leaned down to completely hug Two, holding him tightly against him. "Two, we almost just lost you. I almost just lost you. I don't want to lose you now over a fight. Not like this, not like the others…" He trailed off as he pressed into the top of Two's head. He tightened his grasp on the smaller male, his large hands clinging onto the Inventor as he tightened his grasp on him. Nine shuffled closer and placed a hand on Five's back.

Nine was the only one who heard a noise at the doorway and looked back to see One standing there. He didn't know why he had followed them or why he was watching, but he could only give a look of clear disappointment. He didn't want to say anything and ruin the moment; Two and Five were upset enough as it was. One just watched them for a few moments, both confused at the scene and yet studying it. Inwardly, One didn't know what to think, watching the clinging and whatever the Cat was doing.

Then Two spoke again, "Five, please, this is difficult for me too… But I can't abandon Cat now that he trusts me. I wouldn't be able to live with doing that." Indeed, especially after One had done this, Two was ready to stick to his ethics. He wouldn't submit now and he couldn't risk the chance of having the beast suddenly turn back against them after this project.

Five then insisted, "Then I'll come with you."

Two shook his head, "Five, you need to stay here. Six, our projects; it's safer and more comfortable for you here."

"I'll stay with Six," Nine spoke, still staring down One. "I don't want to lose you two either, but you two shouldn't be broken apart." Two didn't respond much beyond a shake of the head. He held onto his apprentice tighter, continuing their warm embrace. One felt an inward clenching at the scene. Something about it was so pathetic, so pitifully depressing, and One forced himself to stay strong against it. He wouldn't be manipulated in such childish ways by such an overdramatic scene. Two gave a shaky exhale and One finally pounced.

"Fine then! If you are all going to keep whining and making a big scene, then you can keep that damned thing!" One's voice was so sudden that most of the Stitchpunks jumped, even Nine who slightly flinched too even though looking at One. "But if you think that it excuses him from the same rules that the rest of us follow, and allows him to act like an uncouth Beast, then you can think again!" Then he turned, cape splaying, and strode off down the hall from once he came.

Halfway to the throne room he realized what he had done and mentally scolded himself for caving. He wasn't even certain why he caved either. Two had spoken to him with aggression and disrespect, turned the others against him, brought a beast into the Sanctuary, and while One had been so determined in his willingness to let Two leave before… Suddenly One didn't want him to go. Maybe it was how he had spoken to him, but One wanted to keep him close by. It wasn't just him either and as he entered the throne room he turned to Eight.

"Go find this Library and bring those three home… I won't have them being held against me."

In the other room, the four Stitchpunks stared at the doorway, all in equal shock. Even Cat, with raised brows under his helmet, and Five dared to ask, "What- What was _that_?!"

Even Two still looked taken aback and Nine volunteered, "It's probably because you both were talking about leaving. You said Seven and the twins left because of One, maybe he realized that three followers in a Sanctuary wouldn't be enough." This was a possibility, but Two had never seen One suddenly change his mind like that. Regardless, it was a sudden relief.

"Well, Cat, that means that we'll be staying. That means you will be staying with us," Two quietly spoke as he forced a smile at the male. It was obvious that, even though One suddenly backed down, Two was still rather upset about the situation. That would take more than just a sudden change of One's mind could fix. For the moment they had bought time; somehow Cat understood this and knew that at any moment he could be thrown out in the Emptiness. Then he would have to continue what he was doing before he changed himself.

Even as he watched Nine, Five, and Two speak, he suddenly noticed something that concerned him. He couldn't remember exactly what he had planned to do once he became a Stitchpunk. He didn't have the foggiest idea what his mission had been…

Except that it had involved his Creator.

* * *

 **Mable: Thankfully, One's ever-changing mind rapidly changes again to keep his Sanctuary of being emptied of its two healers… Or maybe One has other ideas? Only time will tell at this point. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be posted soon!**


	5. Chapter 5: Cat, Artist, and Watchtower

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! Sorry this one took so long, but I got quite a nice review from a Guest that encouraged me to hold back the chapter an extra day to tweak it. I feel much better about this draft. ^-^ And thank you for that! I think I really needed that. Anyway, here is the new chapter, I hope you Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Five: The Cat, the Artist, and the Watchtower._

One had meant what he said about the rules. When Nine and Cat appeared in the throne room later that day, when they weren't with Two, One confronted them and drew their attention over to a paper with rules listed on it. It was against the wall by Six's cubby and Nine hadn't noticed it earlier. "Now then, it is very important that _both of you_ learn and study these rules." His voice was firm and dripping with obvious reluctance. Nine could see that One kept shooting Cat cold looks, but when Nine looked to the new being he could tell he wasn't bothered.

Instead, Cat had raised his helmet just enough to see underneath and was trying to focus on the written rules. He seemed to be struggling for whatever reason. Cat had seen words before, he was certain he used them in the past, but as he stared at them in front of him they didn't seem right. Then he noticed Nine watching him. The former beast sent him what almost looked like a smile, though almost everything he did looked unintentionally sinister, and he lowered his helmet once again. He mastered this much of this body; he would figure it out later.

"Rule number one; I, One, am leader and shall be respected and obeyed," One firmly announced with a nod. "Rule number two; any thoughts usurping me or going against my judgement is entirely forbidden. Nine, I will give you a pass only because of the situation." Nine decided not to respond in any way and just continued listening. "And while we're on the subject…" One's optics flashed to Cat, staring him down as he moved his staff closer, pointing at him, growling in a low voice. "If you dare harm, attack, or become aggressive towards any of us under this roof…"

He stuck his staff down on the floor. The bell at the tip lightly chimed at the force as Cat leaned back slightly away from the intrusive staff. "Then _I_ will have your head _._ Do you understand me?" Cat stared back, meeting his gaze, and slowly raised a claw. He lightly swatted the bell with a single finger and followed with a partially hidden smile. One's glare intensified before he moved back, looking to the list. "Moving on…" One continued to go on about the rules. Nine listened intently, but Cat quickly became distracted, only listening half way as he looked around.

Then his optics narrowed in on one of the dolls he had yet to see. It stood off to the side in a cubby, hiding out of the way and watching the scene. The second he was seen he darted away and Cat's curiosity raised only further. He wanted to follow, but knew it would catch One's attention further. The last thing he wanted was this doll yelling at him further, especially if it risked Two. Indeed, Cat had already become more accustomed to Two than he would have expected. Something about the doll reminded him of a creator figure, something worth protecting.

One continued to go through the rules. 'Don't go into the Emptiness', 'Don't plan anything unless asking permission from the Leader', and more until eventually coming to a close with. "Follow these rules and you will stay out of trouble. Now I will leave you two to do whatever it is you will do. Nine, I'm entrusting you to watch… Our newest addition." One clearly wanted to say something different, but he held restrain. "I will be in my private quarters and expect not to be disturbed unless it is of dire importance."

Nine watched One as he climbed the stairs and then looked back to the other. He caught a glimpse of Cat just before he disappeared into Six's room. The zippered male felt a tinge of alarm before taking after him and stumbling inside. "Wait, uh…" Nine trailed off as he watched the scene carefully. Six was kneeling on the floor, looking very uneasy and staring at Cat while he grasped his key tightly. Cat had lowered himself to the ground and shuffled closer, looking over Six as though perplexed to what he was. His right optic then illuminated to get a better look.

"That's Six," Nine introduced as he moved closer. Cat reached out and lightly flicked at the yarn on Six's head. "…And that's his yarn," Nine continued as a playful smile began to emerge. Though he did feel protective of Six and though he had seen what the Beast was capable of, when it was a Beast, it seemed to be more explorative than anything else. Its focus fell onto Six's newest drawing, which like all the others was one of the 'source'. Then he looked over the wall of pictures, approached it, and continued to study them with slight interest.

It made sense to Nine, who only now remembered that the Cat Beast had been after the Talisman. He made a mental note to make sure to keep the Talisman away from him, to resist possible temptation, then looked to Six. "It's okay, Six. You don't have to be afraid of him. He's not interested in attacking anyone." The Artist nodded slowly in understanding, even if he seemed skeptical, and Nine suddenly came to attention. "Hey, Cat, why don't I show you the Watchtower? I don't think Two and Five are up there right now, so we can use the lift ourselves."

This was the first time Nine addressed Cat with a name, a shortening of 'Cat Beast', but Cat seemed to catch it. He turned his head a little towards the male, seeming interested but not too much so. Nine looked down to Six who was still watching. "Six, why don't you come with us?" The Artist got a look of dread on his face and Nine responded with an encouraging smile. "It'll be fun; I promise…" He then lowered his voice to add, "I'll keep you safe."

The striped male looked to the side, "O-Oh that's not it…" By time he looked back, Nine was still smiling encouragingly. "…Okay," Six finally caved in defeat and Nine beamed at him.

"Great! Let's go!" He headed out and to the lift. Six followed at his heels while Cat followed behind, lagging a bit as he looked over the Sanctuary. He tried to remember as much as he could of the locations; the last thing he wanted to do was handicap himself by getting lost. They made it to the lift that led into the Watchtower and settled in. Nine tugged at the ropes of the mechanism while Cat sat down and Six sat between them. They stayed silent as they raised into the watchtower.

Once at the top, Nine and Cat stepped off and into the actual Watchtower. "Here we are! You can see most of the Emptiness from up here," Nine pointed out as Cat approached the edge of the watchtower, steadying his helmet and staring out. "It's Two and Five's watchtower, of course. They built it together." The zippered male was glad to see the male interested, but noticed quickly that Six wasn't with them. He looked back to the lift where the striped artist was still sitting. He was clutching his key tightly and looking uncomfortable.

Feeling concern grow, Nine wandered over in front of Six. "Six?"

The Artist looked upwards, his mismatched optics nearly pinpricks. "I-I'm sorry…" he murmured softly. "I just- I'm a little afraid of being this high."

Nine's own optics widened as he suddenly realized the truth. He sat alongside him, putting an arm around his back. "Why didn't you say anything? I thought-I'm sorry, Six."

Six looked embarrassed, "It's just this high. Just this watchtower. When I'm anywhere else I'm find, but I get- I get scared here."

"You could've told me. I just thought you were scared of Cat so I wanted to show you that he wasn't dangerous. I didn't even stop to think…" Nine trailed off with guilt on his voice.

Six finally perked a little more, "I-I wanted to come! I just…" He dared to look out at the view shivering a little.

Nine looked to the view, looked to him, and smiled once again. "Want to get a closer look? I'll stay right beside you." Six was clearly unsure, tightening his grip on his key. "I'll hold your hand the entire time, and we won't have to get that close. What do you think?" As scared as he was, the prospect was tempting. Nine was willing to touch and hold Six's hand, his ink stained and sharp fingered hand, and patiently take him a little closer than he was. Six didn't like being afraid and a part of him wanted to do it. Especially since the zippered male was smiling so surely.

"Okay… A little closer… Barely closer," Six responded. Nine stood happily and took Six's hand in his own before leading him off of the lift. He squeezed his hand until Six stepped off of the lift, then rubbed his thumb over it as they took a few steps more. Six wasn't sure what made him so anxious in this watchtower. Perhaps the claustrophobia of not being able to go down into the Cathedral quickly, or the fear that a storm would suddenly move in, or even the sheer drop itself, but something frightened the Artist so much that, until now, he barely came into the tower.

He tried to focus out on the view and not on the sheer height, but his mind was soon captivated by something else. "See? It's completely safe," Nine coaxed soothingly. "And if anything happens, I'll be here to fix it. I'll make sure of it." Nine wasn't like Five. Six was extremely close to Five, saw him as just as caring and patient, but there was something clearly different between the two. He wasn't really sure what that meant, but whatever it was he liked it. He liked Nine, he liked Nine's effort, and it was enough to let him ignore how high they were above the ground.

The zippered male led the striped male to the telescope and sat down on the bottom, offering for Six to sit behind him, which he did. He watched as Six returned to petting over his key, "Feeling better?" Six looked to him and gave a tiny smile, nodding. Nine perked inside, feeling a small burst of delight. Though his interest then dropped to the key hanging around his neck. He reached forwards and touched it as well, his optics looking over it. "So… Where did you get this key?"

Six looked down at it and, looking a little embarrassed, explained, "Papa gave it to me. I told him I liked it, so he let me keep it. It makes me feel better when I'm upset about something or scared."

Nine tilted his head a little, "Yeah, you started telling me about him earlier."

Six seemed confused, "It's strange that you didn't meet Papa... Oh, maybe you forgot. Sometimes some of us don't remember, but One doesn't like us talking about him." This was a dead giveaway to why nobody mentioned him before. Nine remembered the body that he had seen in the First Room. He decided to not tell Six about seeing the body; it didn't seem right to tell him.

"One doesn't like a lot of things, it seems…" Nine trailed off and noticed Cat now heading back to the lift. "Cat?" Cat stopped with one foot on the lift and another on the rope. "You go on without us. We'll be down in a second," Nine offered with a smile. Cat seemed to understand and learned how to lower the lift quickly. Soon he was gone and Nine and Six were alone.

Six waited until he was gone before chiming in again. "One likes things, he just doesn't like to show it," Six playfully quipped and roused a chuckle from Nine.

"I'm just glad he's off Two and Cat's case for a while. We… We need to make sure that Cat wants to stay with us. I agree with Two on this; having him as an ally is the best possible option. Even after everything he did."

"I don't think the Beasts think like we do… Or he doesn't. I don't think he's bad, though," Six pointed out, looking out at the sky. "Looks like it's going to rain." Naturally, Nine hadn't seen rain yet, and looked out at the sky and the clouds moving in over the Cathedral. He stood and headed over to the edge to peer closer at the sky high above. Everything was so new; he already knew what weather was, but this was his first time really stopping to study it. Six watched him from the safety of the spyglass. After a few minutes he spoke.

"Nine, can we go down again?" Six was starting to sound uneasy again and Nine was drawn back to the present.

"Sure. Maybe when we get down there we can check on Two and Five too." Six nodded at the suggestion as Nine approached the ropes, leaned out to grab them, and tried to tug at them. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that this wouldn't work like he thought. "Hold on. Maybe if I just..." He fiddled with them more, Six standing behind him looking fearful, and Nine gave him an awkward smile. "How long do you think until they notice we're still here?"

* * *

With the bedroom situation fixed, Two and Five tiredly headed out into the throne room. The Inventor had insisted on the break and seemed to return to his upbeat self while they were working. Five noticed a slight sigh of relief though when Two noticed the throne was empty. Five prepared to ask his mentor about something weighing in on his mind, "Umm…Two? I was thinking-." He cut off when Two suddenly noticed something to the side. Five followed his gaze see Cat standing beside the picture that Six had made of the Beast.

Both of them approached him. "Glad to see One let you off the hook," Five chimed in first and immediately regretted it.

Two didn't respond to it and instead smiled at Cat who looked over. "Six drew that one. It is a striking resemblance; don't you think?" Cat looked back to the picture with a tilt of the head. Indeed, he could recognize himself on the picture, and it felt so strange knowing that he wasn't that way anymore. He felt so much smaller, but that didn't mean he was less threatening; Cat still was under the impression that this form would become more versatile.

"Where's everybody?... Or Nine?" Five inquired. Cat glanced in the direction of Six's room and then nudge his head towards the roof. "Six and… They went into the watchtower?" Five guessed and Cat's voice module purred in agreement.

"And they're still up there? In this weather?" Two looked towards the clock face where raindrops were running down the glass. "Maybe we should go check on them. We don't want them getting soaked. Or at least, we don't want them getting soaked without us!" Two gave a playful chuckle and headed towards the lift.

Five followed with him and Cat stayed behind to wander towards One's throne. He prodded at the cushioning with his sharp fingers and tested it. Once certain that he liked the material, he eagerly sat down and attempted to curl inside the throne. It was more awkward in this body. He had to leave a leg dangling over the armrest and an arm over the other to have himself fit comfortably. With the soft sound of the rain from above, he allowed himself to relax and eventually fell into a light sleep.

Meanwhile, Two and Five arrived in the Watchtower. By now the rain was coming down hard enough that Nine and Six had desperately taken shelter by Two and Five's map board. They sat on the floor beside each other, Six's optics in pinpricks again while Nine just hung his head and mentally berated himself. That was until Two and Five appeared.

"Oh, thank goodness," Nine murmured and stood, calling past the wind and rain to the two, "We couldn't get down!"

Five got a confused look, both of the comment and barely hearing it, "What?"

Nine pointed desperately towards the ropes. "I couldn't bring it back!"

"There's a hand crank, you just- Get on!" Five decided to spare the explanation and instead beckoned them on. It was a tight fit on the lift now that Six and Nine were there. Five stood and manned the ropes while Two, Nine, and Six sat, with Six in the middle again.

Noticing his anxiousness, Two rubbed over Six's back. "Well, at least this takes care of that bath you were planned to take," he joked lightly. "I'm so proud of you! I always thought you were too afraid to come up here."

Six's small smile returned, "I was… But someone helped me." He now looked to Nine in a thankful way. Regardless of getting trapped, of getting wet, Six still believed fully that Nine had helped him. It sent soft, fluttering feelings through Nine's middle as he smiled back.

They continued down the lift and towards the Sanctuary when Nine dared to mention, "Six was telling me about… Father?" This caught Two and Five's attention immediately. "Did you two know him?"

Two gave a warm smile, "We did. He was a wonderful person; very kind and patient, and caring." His wistful expression gave away his feelings.

"He was. He was a lot like Two," Five added in.

Two dismissed him with a wave, "You're exaggerating."

Five was insistent though, "No, really, he was a lot like you, Two. You took the most after him." Nine felt a small smile form at hearing about the man, though also felt a torn distress knowing about his fate.

He stuck by his decision to not tell them what he saw. "Can you tell me more about him?"

It was Five who jumped to do so. "He was a Scientist who did his research to help humankind, but a long time ago he actually made toys." This caught Nine's interest and he stood to assist Five in lowering the lift. "He created all of us, but he used to say that we were his 'children', not just his creations. He was so… Warm. You could look into his eyes and you'd know he loved you. I mean, I guess he did, considering how much time he put into making us like we are. Every stitch and all. I didn't know him long before he sent me out to find the others, but I felt like I knew him more than that. It's kind of hard to explain." He grew a little embarrassed, "I'm rambling now."

"Just a little," Two teased with a chuckle. "Ah, but Father was wonderful. He… Carried too much responsibility on his shoulders." He seemed to briefly get a sadder smile, but it faded away as Nine asked.

"I… Know this is the last thing we want to talk about, but why doesn't One let anyone talk about him?"

Two didn't seem too upset to explain the situation. "He doesn't not let us do it, per say, but he does fly into a huff. I won't defend One, but I do believe that it is simply because he and Father weren't able to get very close. One learned too much too quickly."

"Right…" Nine trailed off before noticing a cry, blinking and looking down into the shaft. "Speaking of him…" It didn't take long before the foursome could hear cries from the Throne Room. Such as, "Get off!" and "How dare you!" One was in a big huff it seemed, but his wording immediately concerned the group. The hurried out to find the scene and found it more amusing than they anticipated it to be. One was standing in front of the throne, glaring at the being laying across the throne, who was Cat.

As One yelled at the former Beast, Cat just watched him with a relatively nonchalant look. It was very possible that he was purposely being difficult. The leader now noticed them, "There you are! Get this thing off of my throne!"

Two fought the urge to either laugh or give a dismissive sigh, and he looked past towards Cat. "Cat, come with me. I'd like to show you your room," Two beckoned him with a smile. Cat loyally climbed off of the throne and followed after him, Two glancing at One briefly. He averted his optics to the floor, "Where did Eight go off to?" Two didn't actually want to talk to One. It felt too awkward at this point, making him feel too powerless, but he was confused at why One hadn't called Eight to come move Cat.

One suddenly became a little defensive, "Ah, he's… He's off somewhere. I don't need to watch him constantly. If I did I wouldn't get anywhere." Two nodded a little in understanding. There was an awkward silence before he started to walk off with Cat, leading him to his room. The remaining three watched One approach the throne.

"It's so strange to see them acting like this. They used to be at least a little closer…" Five quietly lamented. "I just don't like seeing Two so distraught."

Nine looked after where Two headed in confusion, "He didn't exactly look distraught to me, Five."

The Healer was insistent, though. "I could tell. He's just being strong, you know? It's not like he or we can change what One does…" They fell into silence once again.

It was broken by Six, who gave a small smile and offered a suggestion. "Maybe we could draw now? Five, you too?" This brought smiles out of both Nine and Five who decided to agree without a doubt of any kind.

* * *

Seven hadn't felt safe since the knowledge of the Cat Beast's new form became apparent. It wasn't necessarily a fear for herself, but it was a fear for the twins. The Cat Beast could sneak in at any time when she wasn't here and attack them. Even with Two's insistence, she didn't trust that thing. She could suddenly feel the patch on her back more clearly with it around. It was not trustable and she knew she had to be careful. So she sat off to the side and fixed her spear while the twins scurried around the study, deep in their work. She would watch them.

That was, until heavy footsteps suddenly started to approach. Three and Four halted their motions as Seven stood with a jolt and blocked the two. She stared forwards with determination in her optics. Yet it wasn't the Cat Beast that stepped through. Instead, she saw the hulking form of a familiar Stitchpunk. "Eight," she exhaled in relief and lowered her spear. "Eight, what are you doing here?" Then Eight stepped into the light and she had to hold back a gasp. Three's optics flickered in shock while Four covered her mouth in alarm.

Eight had an enormous gash in his fabric that ran down his side. He was struggling to hold it closed as he limped closer. "I need help," he wheezed out. "The damage is inside. I can't figure out how to get home." It wasn't unheard of for Stitchpunks to go into shock after a traumatic injury.

Eight was already showing the signs as Seven stepped forwards. "What did this to you?… We need to get you to Five and Two. I can't fix you, but I can take you there." She decided that 'who or what did it' was less important than the situation at hand. Already, Eight was starting to look shaky, like he could collapse at any second. "Just sit down for a second," Seven coaxed him to the book she had been sitting on and sat him down.

The twins rushed over and began to fuss over him a little more, checking his optics and checking his wound. As knowledgeable as they were, though, they weren't healers. They couldn't fix damage like this, or practically any damage at all. "Okay, we'll… Eight, can you walk?" Even though Eight had walked all the way over here from wherever he was attacked, Eight was looking less capable. "Never mind. I need you to stay here; I'll go to the Cathedral myself and get the cot to move you on," Seven explained and attempted to leave.

The second she turned to go, the twins darted out in front of her. They raised their hands as though attempting to stop her and then gestured to themselves. The twins were quicker than she was alone, but that didn't mean that Seven was even considering letting the two, small Stitchpunks go on their own. "There's no way that you're going over there when Eight was just attacked." They gave firm nods, Three making a hand gesture to show their fast, Four nodding in agreement, and they waited for an answer.

Seven was entirely reluctant, but Eight spoke, "Let 'em go. They're quieter. They won't be seen." He was nearly wheezing as he talked, revealing that there was more internal damage than originally believed. Seven was about to argue when the twins suddenly darted out. The Warrior felt almost helpless, but didn't go after them. She would allow them this much trust; they earned that much.

"Just don't strain yourself. Lay down and try to keep from moving; you could damage more," Seven pointed out. Eight laid back on the book and Seven finally asked, "What happened?"

The Guard, for whatever reason, was unwilling or unable to give out many details. "I couldn't even… I was out there, you know, just out there, and I was ambushed. It was so quick. Something… Something loud…" He broke into a mess of coughing and Seven interrupted. "Don't worry about it, Eight. Just rest and we'll figure this out."

Though she was pretty sure she already had.

* * *

 **Mable: Oh dear… And there's one possible suspect in clear sight, it seems. The next chapter will be posted soon. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	6. Chapter 6: Once Evening Comes

**Mable: Here is the next chapter! I don't really have too much to say, so I'll get straight into it. ^-^ I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Six: Once Evening Comes_

Night fell over the Cathedral and the day quieted down. The Stitchpunks were all sitting in the throne room. Two was teaching Nine to play chess on the large chess set. Five watched with slight amusement at the scene. Six was drawing outside his cubby and occasionally watched the scene. Cat was laying against the wall by the cauldron, taking in the heat and looking over at Two and the others whenever he felt the need. One was the odd one out, who instead of quieting down for the night was now pacing by the bucket lift.

It was obvious that he was waiting for Eight to return. By now it was apparent that he knew where the guard had gone after all. Nobody dared to ask One after the tension earlier, though eventually Two decided to make a suggestion. "We'll keep an eye out if you want to go on to bed. This is about the time you go to sleep anyway," Two pointed out. His voice was relatively blank of emotions, which was a sharp contrast to his affectionate tone towards the others. This had been the first thing he had said to One for a few hours.

"I didn't know I became so predictable," One muttered back. Then huffed as he paced by where the bucket lift would've been. "What on Earth is taking him?"

Nine and Five looked over attentively and the healer inquired, "Where did Eight go? Did he say?"

The leader hesitated before answering, "I believe he was going to look for weapon parts for his blade. He was vague." Five seemed to buy it well enough while Nine's brows furrowed in confusion.

Before he could say anything, Two suddenly moved his bishop forwards and gave a cry of delight. "Ah-hah! Checkmate!"

Nine sputtered and looked to the chessboard, "What, really?" Two gave a warm chuckle and Five sent him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Nine. You did really good, but it took me months before I won a game against Two. He's the best." One could be heard making a scoffing noise from nearby.

The short male slightly turned towards him, "You made a noise of disagreement, One?"

One waved it off, "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

The Inventor turned towards the board before the older added in, "Just Five stating that you are the best when I taught you."

"And the student surpassed the teacher," Two retorted. It wasn't clear whether he was being bitter or trying to force a joking tone that didn't make it through.

One walked right to him and stood over him, staring at his back. "Are you implying something? Other than bluffing, of course, I don't remember losing more than twice to you." Two slightly turned his head and properly challenged, "That's odd. I seem to remember multiple times… Oh, that's right, you always ended the game when you were cornered." One started to fume.

Nine and Five slowly looked towards each other. They didn't know if this was heading towards another fight or what, but it certainly sounded like it was going in that direction. "That sounds like a challenge, Two," One snapped. "And too big of a challenge for someone as short as you."

Two's optics widened and he actually sputtered, surprised by the sudden remark about his height. One got a content smirk as though he had won the argument. "I'm only short to you, One, and you're only tall to support that over swollen head of yours, filled with nothing but hot air." One's glare returned, Two now looked One in the optics, and a staring contest ensued.

Five lightly nudged Nine and whispered, "I think we should leave." Nine looked to him with a baffled look, but then remembered the fight earlier and actually considered it.

"Ugh… Maybe… Maybe you should see if you can get Cat to bed. I'm going to make sure Six lays down." The Healer nodded in agreement, but both stopped and looked over when One continued.

"Fine then, Two, we will just see who the better player is. Reset the pieces, you two, and you will see whose blowing smoke." Nine and Five went along with setting the pieces again, if only because Two was clearly not objecting to the game. While Five suddenly changed his mind about leaving, Nine went to Six's side regardless and crouched down beside him.

"Six, maybe you should get some sleep. You were looking pretty tired before," Nine offered with a friendly smile. Six gave a slightly strained one back, knowing that Nine was trying to get him to go to sleep and, naturally, this was the last thing Six wanted to do.

"I-I'm okay. I need to finish this," he gestured down at his drawing. This time it was different. Instead of drawing the Talisman, Six had drew what looked like a box. He was very detailed in sketching it; Nine could even see what looked like a tree picture on the lid of the box.

"What's this?" Nine asked curiously.

"Father's hope box," Six responded. "I've been wanting to draw it… But it wasn't as important as the source. Now the source is safe, so the hope box is more important again." The striped male hummed and stared at the drawing more intently, as though he was lost in thought, and Nine tried to bring him out of it.

"It's great, Six. You did a good job." Six gave him a tiny smile. "…But you still need to get some sleep." Six's smile immediately dropped to a flatter one. "Come on, Six. You look tired," Nine beckoned, reaching forwards and resting his hand on Six's shoulder, affectionately squeezing it. Six shivered at the touch and stared at the hand for a second. The worst case scenario for him was that Nine was going to force him into bed, but now his own body was betraying him, coaxing him to do what he wanted to make him happy.

"Okay…" Six gave a defeated sigh and gathered his things.

"I'll carry that for you," Nine offered and took the inkwell. Six hurried into his cubby with Nine following and stepping into the room. He set the inkwell down by the others before following Six to the wall. The Artist had grabbed a tack from the tack box in the corner and was now looking for a place to put it.

"Hmm… Maybe up there?" Six quietly asked as though asking himself more than Five.

Nine looked to the tiny gap in between a cluster of Talisman drawings. "It's a little high. Should I get something?"

"Well, I- Five helps me sometimes," Six quietly pointed out. "He lifts me and I put the picture on the wall. I can get him." He crossed over to the entrance and peered out in Five's direction.

While Nine wouldn't care if Five did it, he felt the need to be helpful and offered, "I can do it. How does he lift you?"

The striped male looked back and then smiled. "He goes underneath and lifts me on his shoulders." Nine seemed confident, "I think I can manage that. Let's move closer to the wall." Six hurried over to the wall with a sort of excited bounce in his step. Clearly he enjoyed when Five lifted him from the eagerness he was showing. Nine was more than happy to get more of that reaction and moved behind him, leaning down and trying to lift him on his shoulders.

The striped male teetered atop him and Nine tried to get accustomed to both the weight and the awkwardness of carrying another Stitchpunk. The striped male fell forward against the wall, trying to brace himself with an ink stained hand. The zippered male staggered in place and called upwards, "I'm having a little trouble. Can you hold onto me?"

"I'll get ink on you," Six warned the zippered male, showing his free hand that was nearly dripping ink.

"Oh… Well, just hold the wall and I'm going to try and turn around." He shakily fidgeted and turned their bodies, leaning back against the wall to brace against it. He then tried to step forward and suddenly Six fell back, his legs still on Nine's shoulders, but him falling back between Nine and the wall. He gave out a short cry and the zippered male sputtered back, trying to keep Six from falling off of his shoulders. It was now when Five walked into the cubby.

Five stared at the scene; Nine standing with a goofy smile, Six half hanging off of his shoulders against the wall, and both going completely still as soon as he entered. "I leave you two alone for a couple of minutes and this is what you do?" Five joked in a mock scolding.

Nine gave an awkward, light laugh and beckoned him with his head, "Mind helping us?" Five crossed over and helped push Six back onto Nine's shoulders, then braced him as they turned and Six put the picture on the wall. He retrieved the tack from his lips and secured it. "There!"

Now the drawing of the hope box was on the wall as well. It stood out from the other, but in a good way, and Five admired it while Nine set Six down. "Alright, it's up there. Now it's time for us to get some sleep," Nine suggested, then stretched tiredly. Six looked unimpressed by the comment and Five was surprised, he himself never having been able to coax Six into bed willingly. Sometimes he had to try though, especially when Six was awake for days. Six stiffly approached his bed and collapsed onto it, making no effort to do anything else.

"Good start," Nine both encouraged and teased. He wandered over and flipped the blanket over him. "There you go, good as new!"

Six looked back with a weary, playful smile, "You're really going to bed too?"

The zippered male nodded, "Yeah, I'm pretty tired after everything today. But if you need anything, Five and I are right in the other room." Five agreed with a warm smile and they started to head out.

"Nine," Six called after him, pushing himself upwards and waiting until Nine looked back at him curiously. Heat settled into Six's face and his mismatched optics fought to keep locked with Nine's own. "Thank you… For today."

Nine raised a brow for a second, but then smiled back. "No problem, Six. Good night." Then he was out in the throne room. Nine wasn't sure what Six meant and rubbed his neck as he contemplated it, but stayed quiet about it as One and Two were in earshot, and bickering louder than ever.

"That is such a cheap tactic."

"But not against the rules."

"Well, fine. Then I will help myself to your queen."

"If you think I'm going to let you-."

"And there they go again," Five pointed out in amusement. "I mean, it's better than fighting, but not that much better."

Nine raised his brows, "I don't know. This seems a lot better than the fighting was earlier."

The Healer sort of shivered in response, "I'm… Not going to ask… Should we see if Cat wants to go to bed?" Five sounded unsurprisingly meek about talking to the former beast, but Nine nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, let's do that." He led the way over to Cat who was still laying by the cauldron. "Cat, we're heading to bed. Want to come?" Cat opened his optics to slits, not typically possible with optics except for maybe One's, and stared at Nine. "Want to come to bed? We'll walk you to your room. You look tired." Cat got a slight confusion on his face, very faint to see, and Nine insisted. "We, Five and I, will take you, Cat, to your room to rest," he punctuated his statements with appropriate pointing and gesturing.

Finally, the former beast dragged himself to his feet and staggered behind them as they headed down the hallway towards the back rooms.

"I don't think he really understands us," Nine murmured over to Five, hoping it was low enough that Cat couldn't here. "I don't really think so either. Maybe he understands some?" Five inquired back. He looked back towards Cat who wasn't paying attention at all. "That could be… Maybe we'll have to try and teach him. Maybe not now, not when it's this late," Nine pointed out as they arrived at the rooms. Cat watched them before crossing past and approaching the door to his own room. He entered inside silently and looked around.

Two had made a bed for him in the corner, but most of the room was dedicated to storage. Yet, regardless of this, Cat felt surprisingly comfortable in the room. It wasn't as warm as he would like it usually, but as he laid down on the bedding he felt surprisingly nice. He slid off his helmet and set it behind him, then complete covered himself in the blanket, pressing his face into the pillow. It was much better than his previous nights at the factory. They were cold, lonesome, and never felt safe. Here he didn't feel entirely safe, but felt safer.

Oddly enough, Cat never realized how distressing it was to be alone. Never once had he questioned it. Yet now in this state he clung to these dolls. Hearing them through the wall was a relief that he couldn't explain. Then there was the sudden change in feelings towards Two. Two was supposed to be his prey, all of these dolls were, but now that he was one of them he found himself, rather than aggressive towards them, conforming towards their lifestyle. If only just to help himself in the long run.

Though Two did remind him of his Creator in a way. The way he fixed him and healed him, and even the blanket smelled strongly of his scent. Cat couldn't resist kneading into the blanket to pacify himself as he started to drift to sleep.

Down in the Cathedral, two figures darted into the Workshop. They searched around, looked over their shoulders frantically, and then started trying to wheel the cot out. After a brief struggle they were able to get it free and started back towards the bucket lift. They then briefly discussed the best way of going about this, eventually deciding to sneak in and get Two and Five alone. They knew they had to be careful and not get caught by One or the Cat Beast. They stepped into the lift and began to raise themselves.

"Check," Two remarked proudly as One glared at the board. "Ready to admit who is the better player?"

One scowled at him, "It's not a checkmate yet. I can still recover." He continued to glare at the board while the Inventor sighed.

"Oh, I missed when we used to do this… It probably doesn't mean much to you, but these games we play do excite me. I can always play with Five and Nine, but I can only play with you and know you are not going easy on me," Two remarked.

One smirked, "Of course. If Nine and Five didn't go easy then you wouldn't be winning as much."

Silence passed the two for a moment. The shorter male's optics down casted, "It's a shame that things have come to this, One. I can play chess with you, but I can't trust you."

One's optics flickered away, "Are you going to go off on that again?"

Two shook his head, "No, I'm not. Part of me wants to, but I know that it's simply not worth it. These things just happen. Bridges burn, hearts break, we feud, and people get hurt… I can't change that." His voice betrayed his sadness. Regardless of the game of chess, Two was still upset about what had happened.

Though it all changed when One suddenly looked back to him. "What does that mean?"

Two blinked, "What? I can't change it. These things happen, it's society."

The Leader shook his head, "Not that, what you said a moment ago about broken hearts. What were you implying?"

Two's chest tightened and he felt a spike of panic, "Oh, well, nothing. I wasn't implying that we-."

One raised a hand abruptly and silently studied the ropes to the lift. "Wait," he murmured quietly. "…Someone's in the lift." The inventor looked back as well in surprise. A few moments passed as the lift continued to raise and eventually docked in the Sanctuary as it usually did. It was now that the door opened and two hooded faces peered out.

"Three! Four!" Two called out in surprise and delight, standing and approaching them.

One was absolutely baffled, "What?!" He demanded, but was cut off by the twins' actions. They were frantic; Four grabbed onto Two's arm desperately while Three pointed to the bucket lift with just as much alarm. Then Four flashed an image onto the wall, Three holding the twin as it did so.

First an Eight, then a quick Five and a quick Two, and almost immediately Two put together the pieces. "Eight's been injured?" His optics widened in dread, "Okay, I need to go down and get my things." He stumbled into the bucket lift, hesitated there for a moment, and then looked back to the twins. "Five is in his room, if you can wake him. Don't worry about Cat, he's not hurting anyone anymore." The twins were hesitant, but did as asked and scurried down the hallway to the rooms. "Oh, I should just go with them. I don't want-."

Two made an attempt to leave the lift, only to be blocked by a familiar bell staff. His optics followed the staff to One's hand, then to his front, then to his optics. A wave of panic filled him as he realized that One wasn't going to let it go. He stayed silent, but One stared him down. "Two, I want you to be honest with me. If at any time, then right now." In a surprising change, One's face actually softens as he asked the question that Two dreaded answering, "Did I break your heart?" It's a revealing question; any answer will show more than Two wants it to.

So he makes an attempt. Two tenses and sputters out words, but they are not the words he wished would come. "I wouldn't say you broke my heart, One. My heart's stronger than that. You… Cracked my heart… That's all." This only made everything so much worse as One's face slowly twisted into alarm. He stared silently at Two's face while the Inventor looked down at the floor.

Before One could dare to say anything, Five suddenly dashed into the throne room, Nine and the twins in tow behind him. "Where's Eight?!" he asked in alarm. One and Two stared at Five blankly, as though suddenly caught in the act. "…What's going on?" Five asked in concern, as though suddenly thinking their silence was indicating something worse.

"What do you think is going on, Five? Eight is off somewhere damaged and we're waiting for you all," One covered as he strode into the bucket lift. "Hurry and get in. Eight needs immediate attention." Two stiffly moved into the bucket lift as the other entered in as well. They then started to lower in the bucket lift to the Cathedral. The twins bounded out to the roller skate cot, taking ahold of it, and One looked confused. "Where's Eight? He's not here?!" They shook their heads and Four pointed towards the entrance, while Three beckoned them.

"Fine, just… Someone needs to stay with Six. The Beast can't be alone with him," One turned on Nine immediately. "You should stay. Watch them."

Nine stared in alarm, then looked unimpressed. "Except that I have the only working light," Nine pointed out and held out his Lightstaff.

"We can carry that. Someone must stay behind and everyone else is needed," One pointed out. All of the Stitchpunks suddenly looked at One, as though trying to tell him something with their stares, and One eventually gave in. "Fine, fine, we'll all go and leave Six alone with the Beast! Let's just get moving!" He moved to the twins who started to lead the way out.

Now Nine and Five both hesitated, Five murmuring to him and Two. "It's not that I think Cat will do anything, but maybe Six shouldn't be alone. What do you think Two?... Two?" Two didn't answer and seemed to be distracted. "Two?" Five prodded a little louder and now the older male caught on.

"Oh, umm, yes. Sorry, I was distracted, what is it?" Five looked baffled, but assumed Two was worried about Eight. "Leaving Six behind with Cat."

Two shook his head, "I don't think that Cat would do anything to Six. In fact, Six and Cat probably won't wake before we return with Eight, so it should be fine." Five nodded, going with what the Inventor said, and followed him out of the Cathedral.

The walk to the Library felt longer than ever because of it being dark. It was harder to judge proper time as they wandered, but eventually they did arrive at the safety of the Library. They were guided to the study, a few of them stared in awe at the home the twins had found, and found Eight laying on a book unconscious.

"Eight!" One actually looked concerned as he rushed to his guard's side, staring down at him before noticing something. "What-?" he reached under his head and dragged out a magnet, "A magnet! I swear, Eight-."

"I gave him the magnet. He needed to be sedated," a new voice chimed in. Seven wandered over out of the shadows and into the immediate light of the twins' small oil lamp. The Leader and the Warrior immediately locked optics, silently staring at each other. If Nine didn't know about the feud that had happened, then he would've figured it out right now. It was clear that there was tension. Nine, however, was overly happy to see that Seven had appeared once again.

To keep things calm, Two suddenly spoke, "Very good. We wouldn't need Eight struggling." He moved closer and looked over the large slice through his fabric. "Hmm… I think we can still move him, so we should get him to the workshop. Five and I will need to work on him right away." Five hurried over and they tried moving Eight onto the cot. The twins joined in as well and One looked away from Seven to pay attention to Eight.

Now Nine took the time to approach Seven, "Thank you for helping him. What happened?"

She exhaled slowly, "Something attacked him. He couldn't tell me what, but he got inside before he took a turn for the worst." She looked back to the guard guiltily, "I just wish I could've done more…" Seven rested one hand on her hip, the other on her spear, and stared dismally at the scene nearby.

This was clearly bothering her more than she was letting on and Nine tried to reassure her. "You already did a lot for Eight. Don't stress out about it," he then hesitantly reached out and touched her shoulder. At first Seven flinched, but then became more comfortable with the motion and sent the male a small smile. "Thanks." Nine couldn't believe the fluttering feeling it gave him.

Almost like what he felt with Six, but not quite.

* * *

 **Mable: It's funny how a change of events can change relationships so drastically, but I guess we have more important things to worry about… Like whatever managed to strike down Eight… But that will be addressed very soon. The Stitchpunks are aware of the threat, so now they just have to find it! Until the next chapter, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Blaming of the Cat

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! Time to check in on poor, injured Eight. Without further ado, let us begin! I don't own 9 and Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Seven: The Blaming of the Cat_

The Stitchpunks returned to the Cathedral shortly after retrieving Eight. Soon after, he was laid out on the cot in the workshop. Both Five and Two started to go through his inner metals and search for damage before stitching him closed again. The twins stayed by their side while Nine, One, and Seven headed into the Sanctuary. It was the last place Seven wanted to go, but she was concerned about Six and wary of the Cat Beast Stitchpunk waiting in the Sanctuary. If Nine had thought things between One and Two were tense, then this passed his expectations.

As they climbed out of the bucket lift, Nine looked over to Six's cubby to see him standing there, watching them enter. His face grew softer as he saw the striped male and he felt a little less uncomfortable. "Six, what are you doing up?" he asked in a concerned manner. Unsurprisingly, it was not Six who answered him.

"Who would still be sleeping on a night like this?" One asked in return, but then stared towards the hall back towards the bedrooms. A glare spread on his optics, "Though not everyone is predictable, it seems…"

Either way, Nine looked to Six again. "Six, don't worry. Eight was attacked, but Five and Two are working on him even as we speak. He's safe and we're safe," he smiled to the shorter male. Six seemed to be shocked by the news, regardless of Nine's attempt to reassure. He took a moment to process it and then his mismatched optics landed on Seven. Upon seeing her, he stepped out of his cubby and hurried over.

"Seven!" Six chirped with an affectionate smile, giving her a warm hug. Seven returned it, resting her head against his. Then Six presented a question that left everything more awkward, "Does this mean you're staying with us again?"

Seven's expression went blank as she tried to formulate an answer, One was pointedly looking away while seemingly listening, and Nine attentively listened for an answer. "I… I don't know," Seven didn't want to hurt him immediately after reuniting with him. "We'll see, alright?"

Six moved back, his hands on her shoulders as he smiled at her, "I'm just glad you're back for now." He then suddenly noticed his hands on her shoulders and yanked them back, "Oh, umm, sorry." He wiped one of them off on his side, leaving a little ink on his stripes.

"Don't worry about it, Six. I need a bath anyway. You wouldn't believe what those dust storms do to fabric," Seven jokingly pointed out and Six seemed to ease a little. Though the action caught Nine's attention. Considering that Six was drawing constantly, and his hands were always covered in ink, Nine wasn't sure why Six was so self-conscious about the ink. His optics briefly got lost on Six's stains as he noted that Seven wasn't the only one who needed a bath.

Six looked past Seven to the hall, "Oh. Cat's awake too." All three other Stitchpunks looked over to see Cat standing in the entrance to the hallway. One and Seven stared with suspicion while Nine looked less concerned, but interested in their reactions. Cat himself had only woken shortly beforehand from hearing the sound of the bucket lift, and had come out to investigate. Now that he was being stared down by four silent Stitchpunks he wasn't sure what to think. He stared back at them.

Then One gave a growl, "Of course you would be out here. Planning on finishing the job?"

Cat wasn't sure what he meant and Nine defended. "Wait, you're not saying you think Cat did this, do you?"

One turned on Nine and promptly put him in his place, "He has the opportunity, he has the means, he has the desire; it's only a matter of time until he takes out the rest of us in our sleep."

Nine wasn't the most trusting of Cat, but he didn't think this was the answer. "One, he wouldn't have had the chance. He was here all day."

To his surprise, Seven disagreed with him and believed the same as One. "That slice on Eight was very familiar, Nine." Seven reached behind herself and touched over her back patch as she continued, "It's very possible that he did the damage, and you couldn't have been watching him every second."

Nine was vocal in his argument, "Did _Eight_ say it was him? Because if it was Cat, Eight wouldn't have stayed quiet. He's not loyal to Cat."

This statement actually did catch Seven off guard. "Well… No, he didn't say that… But he was confused," she tried, but Nine shook his head. "It would've been the first thing he said."

"Then he knows what did do it!" One demanded, slamming his staff down. "They're all Beasts, they're all under the same hive mind, he should know exactly what attacked Eight!" As the group continued to bicker, Six and Cat watched silently. Six was obviously uncomfortable at the event while Cat felt an unidentified feeling arise. He understood what they were saying now; someone attacked the large one and it seemed like they believed it was him. This made enough sense, but Cat had not done it. Considering his situation, it wouldn't have made sense.

Yet the fighting was getting worse and Cat suddenly felt anxiety. If they were about to attack him then he wasn't just going to stand around and let them do it. In fact, he was mid-way through stepping back and starting to retreat, as he didn't want to fight them, when something unexpected happen. A fourth voice broke the fight apart.

"Stop it!" Six cried out firmly. He was tired of staying quiet and tired of the fighting. He scanned the three, who fell silent to stare at him in shock. "Look at yourselves! Fighting again, like you always do, and not actually doing anything!" Six straightened his posture and became bolder. "Whether or not you think Cat did or didn't do it doesn't matter, because we don't know what did do it! If we start blaming random Stitchpunks for things that we don't know, well, then- then we'll all be living separate lives in the Emptiness!"

He fell silent, starting at them still. Even One was taken aback by Six's outcry; even after Two's own he was shocked by it. Nine was the first to recover, "Six is right."

Shortly afterwards, Seven looked to Cat, huffed, and reluctantly agreed. "Until Eight wakes we won't be getting any answers," Seven pointed out. "I'm going to stay to keep an eye out. Whether him or something else, it might try to finish the job. If you'll excuse me." She stared to walk towards the corridor, walking directly past Cat and sending him a quick stare before disappearing. Cat watched her leave, suppressing his interest for the time being. If they suspected that he had attacked Eight, then it wasn't the best time to turn his attention on her.

One headed to his own quarters in a huff, muttering under his breath, while Nine walked with Six to his cubby. "Thanks for that, Six," Nine gave a lopsided smile. "That was pretty amazing. I don't think you've had your voice that loud before." Six tried to hide a soft, green blush on his striped cheeks.

"I-I haven't. I thought One was going to be so angry, but he didn't even say anything!" Part of Six seemed a bit more confident as he walked to the bed, yanking down the covers and sliding underneath them.

Nine sat down on the foot of his bed, "Hopefully this will be the last disaster for the night and we can get some sleep or something." He gave a small yawn and Six slid down further, bringing the blanket to his neck and holding it there.

"…Would you like to stay with me?" Nine looked over in surprise, "Hmm?"

Six suddenly became much less bold and blushed a little, slipping in deeper under his covers. "I mean, if you want to… It would be closer to the lift and neither of us would have to sleep alone." The zippered male wasn't sure why the striped male would want him to sleep with him, but got a small smile. He wasn't sure if he could fall asleep now, but was fine staying with Six.

"Alright," Nine agreed. Six moved the blankets off of the side beside him, scooting to the side so that Nine could lay down beside him. Nine laid down in the bed and dragged the blanket over himself as well, smiling wider when Six suddenly hugged onto him, burying into his chest. Nine rustled his yarn, "Night, Six." His hand then slid down to his back as he scooted closer. Six's key was stuck trapped between them, yet Nine hadn't ever felt closer to Six. He nuzzled into his yarn with his face, relishing the softness, and drifting off.

While Nine fell asleep, down in the workshop Eight stared to rouse with a groggy grumble. He was still partially delirious and as he looked around the room he struggled to remember how he got there. The four Stitchpunks in the room heard his distress. Five and Two were looking at a map on the Workbench, trying to figure out where Eight was most likely attacked. The twins looked around them and watched what they were doing. Though when they heard Eight, Three and Four sped over to his beside and looked down at him in concern.

Their optics flickered curiously and he shielded his own optics with his hand. Five and Two also came over towards the cot with relieved smiles. "How are you feeling, Eight?" Two offered and Eight gave another groan.

"Everything's off," he dramatically stated and Two chuckled.

"It will feel like that for a while," Two pointed out. "You've been through much this evening."

The healer now moved in, his single optic checking Eight's pupils and body. "Any headache? Ache in your metal? Arms, legs? Any confusion? Any-?"

Eight raised waved his hand slightly, dismissing Five. "I'm fine. I'll live… Just stop looking at my face like that. It's weird." Three and Four giggled. However, Four accidently had a few flickers escape through the optics. Four covered them quickly, embarrassed by the behavior while Three silently snickered at the twin's misfortune. Eight noticed the entire even and in his state, his still partially magnet high and recovering state, he gave a soft murmur of, "That's cute."

The words almost immediately took both twins aback. Three stared in surprise and then looked to the other twin. Four's reaction was more visible, with a slightly agape mouth and a glowing, green blush. The twins weren't unused to being called 'cute', or some form of it, but this was the first time Eight said it. This was also the first time that Eight complimented a specific twin out of the two of them. In fact, this was the first time they were specifically treated like individuals.

Four didn't know how to feel, but the blush was still there along with a strange amount of a flattered feeling. A nervous, silent giggle followed, though this time the flickers were held back. Three noticed Four's behavior and gave a curious tilt of the head.

"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I need to go stretch my legs," Two suggested with a friendly smile. "I won't be gone long." He gave a warm pat to Five's back and then stepped through the curtain. The moment he did, he noticed a figure looming beside the entranceway. He knew instantly that it was Cat, especially when the taller male moved closer into view. "Evening, Cat. I suppose you were woken by the excitement?" Two offered with a small smile. Cat responded by looking towards the curtain, staring at it silently, and Two sighed.

"I suppose you already know what happened to Eight… And I'm certain that One already brought the matter to you," Two rubbed his face tiredly. Yes, Cat was close enough to do the attack, but Two didn't want to believe it. It didn't logically make sense, though Two feared that his investment in Cat made him biased. All he had to do was prove that a Beast turned Stitchpunk could become tame and the outcome would be extraordinary. So he clung to hope that Cat didn't do it. "Let's head over to the front doors. I need to walk a bit."

Cat loyally followed Two, staring at the shorter male's back. It was almost as though he could feel the same scrutiny that One had presented. It wasn't supposed to bother Cat, but it did. It would have been one thing if he had actually attacked Eight, but here he was on the verge of being blamed for something he didn't do. This new free range of emotions tormented him as they stepped into the Emptiness. Two stretched and stared at the sky high above. His arms rested beside him, a smile on his face, and Cat remembered why he trusted this male.

Two wasn't one to accuse and had trusted him regardless of what, maybe now it was who, he was. So Cat decided that he was his only chance. Him, and evidence of the Beast that attacked Eight. It suddenly dawned on Cat that if he could hunt the Beast that the others would be forced to acknowledge the truth. Yet Cat wasn't as simple minded anymore; he had a feeling if he left that the suspicion would only grow. That's where Two came in. He stared at the back of the Inventor's head for a moment and then made an attempt to communicate.

After hearing so much of it from the others, Cat tried to speak. It was a garbled mess of words and noises both vocal and metallic. Cat wasn't even sure how to control it and Two's reaction was to jump and spin around. "What?" he asked in surprise. Cat responded by trying to let the words come out. They came like his new thoughts; an intelligible mess that barely sounded cohesive. He tried harder, but the volume only climbed, and he cut off the attempt with a growl of frustration at his failure.

"Are you… Trying to speak?" Two inquired. His face turned from shock to becoming alit with delight, "Ha hah! This is just smashing! You're starting to talk!" He moved in closer, "Now we'll need to practice, but everything's working and- We must go show the others! They'll be thrilled to see your progress!" Cat doubt that as Two grabbed his clawed hands, turned him, and started to head back inside. Though he was promptly stopped when Cat held his ground. It wasn't as though Two was going to be able to move his weight either. "Cat?"

Cat leaned in slightly and tried again with the voice. He tried to get the correct words out, repeating phrases in his mind and trying to get his voice module to follow through. Two seemed confused, but finally something made it to him. "Did you say 'didn't'?" That was the only actual word, the only thing that hit the mark correctly. Cat had managed to say 'didn't' through the muddled attempt. "Didn't… You're trying to say you didn't do that to Eight?" Two assumed and Cat gave a nod, seeing as it was the only gesture that really communicated anything.

"Well, of course I know you didn't hurt Eight!... Though it may be best if you say this to the others. If you can defend yourself then I believe most of them will believe you." Two gave another tug to his hands. Cat still didn't budge. "…I don't understand," Two reasoned. Or, perhaps he did but simply didn't want to believe what Cat was suggesting by his resistance to return inside. "Are you saying… That you're leaving? Cat, no. You shouldn't leave."

Cat pointed out into the Emptiness with a single claw, then made a swiping motion as though grabbing something that wasn't there. He 'dragged' the invisible object back between them, seemingly 'dropping' it. He then reached upwards and slid his helmet on more securely, as though to make a point. Two understood immediately and flinched forwards, as though to physically stop him. "If you're thinking of going after a Beast on your own- Cat, your body is new to you. I can't guarantee that you can handle that much strain yet!"

Two did tend to become overprotective, but Cat had already decided on his course of action. He wanted to hunt this beast, to bring back its remains, and not just because he could but also to drive away whatever had suddenly decided to move in during his absence. No matter what, this was basically still Cat's territory, and it would stay that way until the Machine woke again. If he awoke again. Cat moved his hands back and turned towards the Emptiness, then broke into a sprint into it, pausing to look back further ahead.

Two stared after him in surprise and Cat continued to run once more. Instinct set in as he sprinted around the area, seeking out any obvious clue of where the Beast went. Regardless of his new body, his scent was still rather strong, and once he neared the location of the attack he could smell the scent of oil. This was the only reason that he was able to figure out where the scuffle happened. The strong smell of oil was potent on Beasts and he recognized it well. Amongst the scuff marks in the dirt, Cat found a few prints.

These 'prints' were basically only spots stabbed in the dirt. There were many of them dotted around the dirt, revealing a multitude of legs to whatever the Beast was. There was a clear direction that they went in and Cat began to follow them, trailing the path of marking through the dirt. His optic glowed to light the road in front of him, showing him the marks in greater detail. Though they didn't last forever. In fact, they stopped abruptly at a short, stone wall.

Cat searched over the wall, searching for any sort of scent of any kind, but the Beast had vanished past the wall. He cursed his smaller size and lesser speed. If he was still as he was before, he could've hunted this Beast down without a hitch, but now he was stuck without a lead. He let the light in his optic vanish as he perched atop the wall. If he watched long enough he would see something, he was sure of it.

* * *

Seven wasn't exactly comfortable in the Sanctuary, but it was nice to be back in her old room. It was untouched by the others, which surprised her, and everything was in its place. Seven's room was decorated with feathers, a few weapons, armor pieces, replacement parts for weapons and armor, and her soft bed in the corner. She lifted off her helmet and hung it on the wall, set her spear aside, and then began to go through her things. For a while she was just alone in her room until, finally, someone knocked on the door frame.

"Come in," Seven remarked neutrally. She didn't know who was there and didn't want to give any sort of indication before she did. The moment Two stepped in, Seven's face and voice softened greatly. "Hey, Two. How's Eight?"

Two seemed visibly distressed, though it was possible that he was just tired. "He's doing well, thankfully…" He trailed off for a moment and then gave a sigh. "Seven, I have a favor to ask of you and I know you will be very uncomfortable."

The Warrior quirked a stitched brow, "Is it talking to One, because there are some torments I rather avoid." She was clearly being playful and Two chuckled.

"No, no… But you won't be happy… You see, Cat has headed into the Emptiness-." Seven abruptly stood, the weapon she was working on tightly gripped in her hands. "But before you assume the worst, he's planning to hunt down the beast that attacked Eight and I need to go after him... But after I tried to fight a beast alone before I am much less confident in my abilities." He grew a bit more desperate as Seven looked away, her face clearly showing weary reluctance.

"I know you don't trust Cat. I won't force you to like him. I just… I could really use your help. With Eight injured and Five needing to watch him, I don't feel safe going alone, and I don't think Cat can manage on his own." His optics were wide in begging and Seven wanted to turn him down. However, she had been brought to speed by Nine earlier about what happened between Two and One. She knew that Two was going through a hard time and didn't want to see him going out alone.

Seven's resolve dissipated on the spot, "…Fine."

Two beamed in delight and moved forward to give her a hug. "Oh, thank you, Seven! I promise, this will go well." Seven doubted that, but silently hugged back. Somehow, she had a feeling that she was getting into much more than she wanted to.

* * *

 **Mable: And thus begins a new quest. This time to avenge the injured guard; or at least keep the Emptiness somewhat safe from a possible threat. The next chapter will be posted once it's ready, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Beastly Sound

**Mable: Okay, so I have some explaining to do. I have a 9 Halloween fic that I planned to post on Halloween night… However, it got too long and I missed the deadline. Even now it is not ready for posting. This has backed up my 9 stuff a little bit, but with this chapter done I am planning to get back on track with this story, the requests, Magnetic Attraction, and hopefully the Halloween fic itself. As a trade-off, I hope to make the Halloween fic longer than originally intended. That's something, right?**

 **Anyway, I don't own 9. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Eight: The Beastly Sound_

Morning had come and yet Cat had saw nothing. Exhausted after the long night, he took a break by laying on the stone wall and basking in the rising sun. Just because he was determined didn't mean that Cat could go on endlessly. Even as a Beast he needed a good amount of sleep and now as a Stitchpunk he felt the same. It didn't help that the sun warmed his fabric in a different way than his metal. The fabric held the heat a little better, but kept it off his inner metal so he didn't become uncomfortably hot. It only made sense that he would lull into a nap.

That was when he heard clanking metal very close by. His head darted upwards, his body following, and he targeted the sound of the clinking. Along with it, he could hear something else…

"Here Kitty, Kitty!" Two called out as he tapped the side of a tin can with his newly finished lance. The sound was somewhat loud and he hoped it would attract the male they were seeking out. Nine and Seven, the two with him, didn't seem as convinced.

"Are you sure he's going to come to that? He might think you're taunting him," Nine pointed out.

He was answered by a scoff from Seven, "Nine, he doesn't seem like the type capable of putting two and two together. He can barely put _himself_ together without Two as it is." The Inventor didn't seem detoured by the comment.

"I know he must be nearby. I don't think he would've gone too much farther… Or I hope he didn't." He tapped the can again and continued to call, "Cat!" He fell silent as he heard a scuffling nearby and then suddenly a figure appeared in the clearing. They all looked over attentively to see none other than Cat himself standing there. Two beamed and hurried to his side, "There you are! Glad to see you still in one piece, my boy." He affectionately laid a hand on his arm while Cat got a slightly confused look. "We've come to help you in hunting the Beast."

Cat looked at Nine and Seven, as though completely baffled by the suggestion. Nine gave a lopsided smile and Seven gave a slight tip of her helmet as an answer. Cat's optics seemed to immediately lock on the pale female. His confusion dissolved and he released a metallic purr in his chest, as though satisfied; mostly because this meant that Seven had to believe him somewhat. Something changed her mind and that sent a weird pleasure through him. Two seemed to noticed it, glancing to his chest with a hum.

"So all we have so far are some tracks," Nine pointed out, kneeling to examine the tracks. "These points don't look like claw marks, not from how many there are and how they aren't consistently spaced. I'm going to guess this beast has pointed legs… And probably a lot of them."

Seven looked down as well and nodded in agreement, "That seems reasonable. It looks like it headed into the southern part of the city. Hopefully the wind doesn't blow the rest of these tracks away before we follow them." She stood and led the way.

"But wait, something doesn't make sense," Nine pointed out as he stood again. "You've _never_ seen this Beast before? How can that be?"

It was Two who chimed in, "Actually, this could very well because of Cat's transformation." He moved in closer and explained his theory further. "Why do we not see more than one Beast? It came to me that perhaps the Beasts are purposely out of each other's territory. As such, with Cat now like this, a new Beast may have moved in closer. Especially considering how close we are to the factory."

"About that factory…" Nine started, preparing to question, but stopped as Cat passed by and followed Seven a bit more closely. The zippered male raised a stitched brow and then looked to Two, signaling him. The Inventor looked over and noticed how the former Beast was getting a little too close to the Warrior. Cat didn't look like he was planning to do anything, but the last thing Two wanted was to have Seven get uncomfortable. He hobbled over, his limp slightly showing as he did so, and discreetly got between the two.

Nine followed suit and continued his inquiring, "So you all don't go this far into the city usually? Is there a reason?"

Seven answered him, "I've explored most of the city. It's just so expansive and it is filled with danger. Most of the buildings are unstable and the weather changes very quickly, especially the wind, and, of course, there's _him_." She sent a glance towards Cat who responded with a stretched smile half hidden by his helmet. "It's risky for anyone to go out alone, but I can't exactly take the twins with me when I'm scouting."

"Why don't a group of us go together to explore the city?" Nine offered and Seven scoffed.

"One would throw a tantrum. He would probably have Eight drag us all inside."

Two frowned at the thought, "That's very true… Well, we're out here now, at least!" Suddenly Nine and Seven stared at him in questioning.

After a few moments Seven asked, "How exactly did you tell One that we were leaving?"

Two hesitated for a few moments. "Oh… I didn't. I didn't tell Five either; I knew he would worry and… I needed to be here." Nobody had to ask, they understood enough. "But that's not important. Finding this Beast is," Two explained and looked to Cat. "So then, lead the way! I trust your judgement!" Cat took to the forefront, leading them into the city. After all, it wasn't as though he could tell them that he didn't know where it was.

* * *

Somehow, what Two had admitted to One in the night had bothered him much more than what he had yelled at him before that. Since One had awoke it had been weighing on him. He couldn't stop thinking about what had been said and what it meant. One expected 'stab in the back' or 'betrayal', but Two had said 'broken heart'. That held a sort of weight to it that the Leader hadn't expected. It was so childish, so insanely innocent, and yet the term revealed much more than the Inventor had ever intended to.

One had hurt the others in the past. He knew this much. Yet breaking hearts was something that had never been brought to the forefront. In fact, One himself didn't know what Two had been insinuating by it. As he wearily entered the bucket lift he felt a growing determination to confront Two.

"He can't just say things like that and not think I'm going to question it. He probably just said it to get a rise out of me," One spoke to himself as he boarded the lift and started to lower himself down. Most of the others were absent, so he assumed they were down with Eight. This was fine; One wanted to check on Eight anyway. Even with a clean bill of health, Eight's attack did worry him extensively, and would've been on his mind constantly if not for Two's slip of the tongue.

Once in the lower Cathedral, he crossed the long way towards the Workshop. "And I will confront him. I'll make sure Eight is fine and then I will demand clarification on what Two meant." One halted outside of the curtain as he suddenly second guessed his action. "…But I don't want the others hearing and getting the wrong idea out of this." Heat suddenly started to settle on his face at the thought of Eight and the others hearing and thinking that he and Two were involved in 'heart' matters. He could only imagine what they would think.

"I'll just ask him to come out here… But that won't work, will it? He's been avoiding me as it is. He'll squirm his way out of coming out here." He gave a frustrated huff, "Of course Two would start something like this and then not care to finish it! He probably purposefully worded it like that to confuse me! As though him berating me in front of the others wasn't embarrassing enough!" One didn't comprehend how quickly his emotions were darting back and forth.

If he was looking from an outside perspective, there was a possibility that One would realize that something was clearly bothering him beyond the pettier aspects. However, One was stubborn, and that was part of the reason why he wasn't noticing it. "I'm going in there right now, and if he tries weaseling out then I-… I… Oh." One cut off as he turned around, realizing that he wasn't alone. There, peering through the curtain, was Five and both twins.

One attempted to cover how flustered he was. "Ah, yes, well…" He cleared his voice module and straightened. "I need to speak to Two."

Five gave an awkward smile, "Okay, uh, sure. I think he's in the Watchtower." Then he disappeared behind the curtain while the twins continued to watch the Leader. One caught onto something quickly and followed Five back through the curtain.

"What do you mean, in the Watchtower?" He cut off for a moment to look towards Eight laying on the cot. He asked, "Eight, you look better. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, Boss," Eight answered. He sounded more tired than his words would reveal.

One now looked back to Five, "Two is absolutely not in the Watchtower. He said he was coming down here."

The one-eyed male looked confused at this. Then, suddenly, there came a look of concern. This was more of a giveaway than his clearly wrong directions.

One's optic twitched as he tried to hold back any emotional explosion, "…Have you seen Nine?" The second that panic passed Five's face, One turned on his heel and stormed towards the curtains, barging through. "I can't believe this!" he bellowed in fury.

"One, wait, maybe… Maybe they're still up in the Sanctuary?" Five desperately asked after them. However, he was also worried for his mentor. Since the capture a few days ago, the thought of Two being out in the Emptiness had frightened him severely. He couldn't even imagine what he would do if it happened a second time.

One was already sure of what happened, "He went out there _again!_ And he accuses me of treating him like a child!"

In a frenzy, Five grabbed his harpoon, his quiver, his map, and dashed out of the Workshop. He nearly barged past One. "I have to go after them!" Five blurted out in a panic.

One's optics widened at the motion, though returned to their normal narrowed state. "Are you mad?! You know how dangerous it is out there! Just let Two make the same mistake twice; maybe he will realize his mistake this time!"

Yet Five was not content with this. "One, he could be in danger! Nine too, I don't know why'd they… Unless Seven left?" He trailed off as he looked towards the entrance. One knew he was losing control of the situation. Five wasn't listening to him and didn't seem content to wait around. With Eight unable to intimidate anything at this point, it wasn't as though One could convince Five to stay through that method. Suddenly his mind went back to what Two had said about him when he scolded him.

" _So I just sit around and do nothing? Well, we'll see how Two likes it when I do step in!"_ One straightened and followed Five, "I will be coming with you."

The Healer was midway out when he stopped, paused, and then spun back, "Really?"

"Yes. Someone must go out there and bring those two, possibly three Stitchpunks back here. It's simply not safe to go alone…" One passed by. "Besides, I have a few choice words for them and I don't want to wait or I'll lose my drive." Five doubted that One would just lose his anger, but was still both surprised and somewhat relieved that One was coming with him. He didn't want to go after them alone; he would if it required it, but he didn't want to. He looked towards the curtains one last time where Three and Four were peeking out.

"We won't be gone long, hopefully. Just… Watch Eight. I know you two know what to do. Oh, and check on Six if you can," Five instructed them as they nodded. Then he turned and hurried after One, the two taking into the streets of the Emptiness to find the missing Stitchpunks.

* * *

"What… Is this?"

Nobody could answer Nine. Not even Cat was sure what they were looking at. It appeared to be just an extremely destroyed building, with many walls and its roof missing, but was practically strung with wires. Not thin, metal wires either; they looked like fallen telephone wires that were pulled taunt and weaved through the nooks and crannies. At first glance, it didn't even seem like the wires would have that much use to them. Though Seven came with one revelation quickly, "That has to be where the Beast is staying. It looks like a den and… Hey, wait!"

Cat suddenly started ahead of them, down the slope towards the building and around a crushed car. Seven called after him, received no answer, huffed, and then attempted to follow with Nine and Two in tow. "I can't even say we shouldn't have brought him. We didn't even bring him," she remarked as she lowered her helmet over her face. There was a good chance they were walking right into a fight. As they approached the building, finding an entrance through a broken hole in the brick wall that had various wires tracing through it.

As the others arrived, Cat stopped, crouched down, and looked at the wires. Nine stood beside him and stuck out the bottom of his staff, preparing to nudge one of them. Cat noticed and reached out, catching his staff and stopping him. Then, right afterwards, Cat tapped his claws on the wire instead. This begged the question why he even stopped Nine from doing it, but Nine didn't call him out and instead just watched. The former beast seemed extremely interested in the wires and, in response, this convinced Two to be as well.

He started to kneel, leaning against his lance as he did so. "Two, maybe you shouldn't," Seven warned, but Two seemed convinced enough.

"I'm not going to directly touch it, but it's not coursing electricity. There must be another reason for these." Cat again swatted Nine's Lightstaff back, though this time Nine was only resting it on the ground and not preparing to nudge the wire. In fact, Cat, still kneeling, shuffled in front of Nine as though to block him from the wire. "But with Cat so wary of them… There must be a reason."

Cat looked to him and Two hummed curiously, then looked to the thick wire again. "…Maybe, and I'm not certain of this, but just maybe the wires are sensors that tell the Beast if something is wandering outside. It's farfetched, but not impossible."

As he continued to think, Seven took a step forwards, "I'm going in to scout out the area. You three should stay out here." Before anyone could argue she rushed inside.

"Headstrong as always," Two remarked, but seemed to have a bit of pride in his voice as well. He then started to lead the remaining two inside.

Seven followed the cords into the building. The cement was cold and smelled musky, but didn't detour her as she tried to follow her only lead. What did detour her was when she suddenly realized that she was being followed, and from the heavy, scraping footsteps she knew exactly who it was. Rolling her optics but keeping her guard up, Seven continued to follow the line of the cord into the depth of the building. Unfortunately for her, the cord went straight through, wrapped around a pipe, and led nowhere else.

" _This doesn't make sense… Something brought these cords here just to tie them around for no imaginable reason… Unless they're for transportation,"_ Seven finished the thought by looking upwards through the building. Above her she could see multiple more cords hanging through the air. Her attention fully shifted as she heard the male being move in closer to her. She looked over abruptly and stared him down, frowning in his direction. "Usually when someone scouts, they do it alone," she pointed out to him.

He stared after her, saying nothing but holding that interested look. Seven wasn't exactly fond of how Cat looked at her. He stared at her with an interest that reminded her exactly of when he was still a Beast, and she considered this a sign of his unpredictability. "Don't follow me," she commanded and Cat made an almost shrugging motion, turning and looking upwards. Seven would've left right then if not for how Cat reacted. He looked at the cords and his claws clenched, as though he suddenly recognized something.

Two and Nine found their way through a brief concrete tube that led into one of the main rooms of the building. Unlike the darkness of the tunnel, the room itself was alit by a large, fallen portion of the roof, which let in sunlight from outside.

"I don't think this building was finished," Nine observed as he looked at the surroundings. "There's nothing really in here, is there? It would make the most sense."

Two gave a proud smile, "A very keen observation! Yes, I'm guessing the work on the building was postponed due to the war… And naturally, never finished."

Nine looked upwards towards the ceiling for a moment, seeing all the wires strewn back and forth, and then looked to Two. "It makes you wonder what made them stop coming…"

Two only paused for a second before explaining, "Well… The factory stopped creating machines."

Nine's head snapped to Two, "So you do know about it. I always suspected the machines were made there, but… But were the humans making them?"

The Inventor coughed slightly, "Yes and no. They were greatly involved before it got out of hand, but the-." Two cut off, staring at the ground, and Nine blinked.

"Two?" There was no response. "Two, there's something not being told to me. What's going on? Where exactly did the Beasts come from?" Two was gawking at the floor and Nine assumed that he was dodging the question. That was, until Nine noticed he was looking at something directly. His optics followed to the shadow on the ground left by the cords high above. Two recognized the pattern on the ground and the way the shadows fell into the makeshift form; it looked like a spider web.

The Inventor took a step back and grabbed Nine's arm. "I think I know what this is…" They were standing in the center of the room, as well, so when a shadow suddenly crossed the shadow of the web they both felt a sudden panic. They looked upwards just in time to see a metal form plummet through the air and land onto the concrete floor in front of them. The metal body was nothing like the Cat Beast's had been, what with its rounder abdomen and many metal legs holding it off the ground, two longer than the others. A line of ruby optics lined its face and stared down the two.

Two gasped in horror as he stared at the spider like Beast and it started to move in. Before the Inventor could do anything, Nine leapt forwards and shoved him back. The zippered male turned on his Lightstaff and waved it forward to ward off the Beast. The Beast's first reaction was promising. It took a few quick steps backward in recoil while Nine took one forwards. Though right afterwards the Beast reacted with a new maneuver. The two longer legs raised off the ground and into the air, pointing forward aggressively.

These legs were tipped with needle-like points and could clearly tear through fabric. However, the Beast did not strike, but instead raised its abdomen behind it. From this angle, neither Two nor Nine could see much of the abdomen, so when it was vertically pointed was the only time they saw what it hid. The color scheme was an appalling clash of black and red paint that looked poorly painted. It was so poor and bright that it almost camouflaged the object clearly lodged into the abdomen. Two recognized it as some sort of speaker.

Then the abdomen began to vibrate, its raised legs waving, and both Nine and Two were stuck by a noise so shrill, so rough, that it actually hurt to listen to. Nine felt his body shiver in response and his head began to pulse, "What- What is- I can't-!" He couldn't get the words out, he couldn't even get his own body to function. With a soft thump, Two fell onto his backside from the stress. The noise had caused his legs to give out and it wasn't like he could escape. Nine leaned on his Lightstaff a little more and tried to get his bearings in the audio torment.

That was when a war cry was called from above. Like the caw of a bird, Seven drew the attention of the Beast as she crossed one of the wires. Then, once above it, she dropped down with her spear aimed down towards its back. The Beast noticed her, but was delayed by the position it had put its body in, so she landed right atop its head. The Amplifier Beast promptly stopped the noise and began to turn in circles quickly, its long legs starting to slash at its own back. Seven knocked them back with her spear and struggled to keep her balance.

It was at this moment that Cat appeared in the room and began to sprint at the Beast; optics turning red and a growl in his chest. He was so ready to leap into the fray, but was suddenly interrupted by something striking the front of his helmet. He staggered back a few steps, shook his head, and recovered quickly. Upon second glance, the object revealed itself to be Seven's shield, and Cat continued towards the Amplifier. He watched it carefully, almost slowing it down in his head as he put together what he was going to do.

Seven looked about ready to strike the Amplifier's abdomen if it was stalled, and he knew of only one way to do that. The Beast stopped spinning and began to vibrate through its speaker directly at Seven. She gritted through it, bringing her spear down in the nook between one of its legs and its body, then holding on. With it stopped, Cat dashed forward and slid directly underneath, his armor scraping on the cement. He then began an assault on the bottom of the Amplifier. His claws swiped and his fists struck, looking to make what damage he could while trying to distract it.

With the Beast being attacked by both sides, Nine turned to Two. "Two, run, get to safety!" Nine insisted as he took the older male's lance. "I have to help them!" Two wasn't prepared to leave the room and tried to stop the younger, but Nine was determined. He held his Lightstaff forwards with his left hand and his lance with his right, shining the light at the Beast's optics. It responded by swinging a leg at him and he ducked down before jabbing forwards with the lance.

This distracted the Amplifier for a moment; long enough that Cat slid back out from under the Beast and climbed on its back. He was there to watch as Seven stabbed into the edge of the speaker, trying to pop the object out of place. Cat follow suit and dug his claws into the edge of the speaker. It cracked under his claws and with a loud crack the large object popped out of it base, falling onto the Beast's head. Seven swiped her spear forwards and sliced the cords, freeing the speaker. The Amplifier shrieked in anger and shuffled around in a panic.

Its large legs swung around, one slicing across Seven's back and the other knocking Cat off onto the floor. Seven gave a small cry and fell off the Beast's back, though landed on her feet and recovered quickly, aiming her spear forwards. Either way, Nine gave a horrified cry of, "Seven!" His worry was cut short as the Amplifier let out a metallic roar. It reared upwards and waved its sharp legs wildly, then started to dash forwards.

Nine tried to brace himself with the Lightstaff and spear, confident that the light would drive it off, but was suddenly knocked off his feet by Two who shoved him to the ground. "Get down!"

The Beast charged forwards, though did seem to turn away slightly from the light as it headed for the exit. Cat broke into a sprint, dropping to all fours and struggling to regain the speed he once had, and leapt forward. He grabbed ahold of wires hanging off to the side and allowed the Beast to drag him a little while as he fixed his grip. Then he climbed the wires onto the back of the Beast as it barged into the Emptiness. In one last ditch effort, he raised his claw to deliver the strike…

"Are you alright?!" Nine asked as he and Two ran to Seven's side. With the Beast now gone she started to lower her spear.

"I'm fine, I just got clipped. It's nothing." She still hissed in pain as Two appeared behind her to check her wound.

"This certainly isn't nothing. It caught your patch," Two pointed out. He lightly rubbed her arm, offering some comfort as he studied her back. "It'll need to be stitched immediately."

Seven shook her head, "We need to go after the Beast. Even if we broke its amplifier, it is a threat to us."

"Cat went after it. Maybe if I hurry I can catch up," Nine offered. "But Two's right. You shouldn't risk yourself any further. It could tear it more." She knew he and Two were being reasonable, but it was hard to just say 'fine' and stop. She hated the feeling of being pushed aside, especially over something as simple as a slice on the back, over what was already a patch.

She stayed silent and Two patted her arm, "Come along. Let's get out of the way and see what I can do." As he led he away, Nine started towards the exit to follow Cat. He didn't get far before stopping. "Cat's back," Nine called back to Two and Seven. They looked over in interest as Cat limped back towards the group. He was clutching something in his claw that looked like a mangle of cords. Through his limp, he managed to somehow walk with a confident stride and a smile of pride underneath his helmet.

He passed Nine, shooting him a brief beam of confidence, then approached Two and Seven, mostly Two. He presented the mat of cords and the lone optic hanging off one end; he had taken one of the Beast's eyes. Seven wasn't too impressed. It was a feat of its own, but she doubted it killed the Beast. Two was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum.

"Ah hah! Smashing! That will certainly knock that Beast down a peg!" In a way, Seven wondered if Two was pointedly congratulating Cat to appease him. It would make sense if he was attempting to encourage the former beast. "Excellent work!" Two took the optic and looked it over, then turned his attention to the others, beckoning Nine in closer. "Excellent work to you all! I've never been so proud."

Nine rubbed his neck sheepishly and didn't take Two's words too seriously; he himself had no doubt that the milestone probably was already achieved by Five. Yet he moved in and received a one-armed hug from Two. He then moved over to partially hug Seven, but clearly didn't want to touch her back. "And hopefully this will, at least, scare the Beast away. It's much less of a threat now in this state regardless, but we don't want to run back into it in the future." He hummed in sudden thought. "…In fact, let's get away from this place before I tend to Seven. Come along."

Nobody argued as Two led the three of them out of the building. Nobody felt comfortable under the web of cords.

* * *

 **Mable: A few fun facts to mention. Firstly; the Amplifier Beast is inspired by the Peacock Spider, which rhythmically moves its abdomen and legs in a sort of little dance. It's interesting to watch and I recommend watching a video or two of these little guys! Secondly; 9 and 2 standing under the web and having the beast drop on them, a spider no less, was a direct reference to Pikmin. I had to add it in. XD Basically, in the second Pikmin game the large spider bosses, except one, enter by dropping in.**

 **Finally; the shield returns from its running joke-thing in the movie. I swear, that thing continues to appear, then disappear, then appear throughout the film… And then I just suppose that Seven abandons it. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The next will be posted soon!**


	9. Chapter 9: There and Back Again

**Mable: Onto chapter nine! I can't believe we're already on the ninth chapter. ^-^ Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Nine: There and Back Again_

Seven was starting to feel the ache in her back now that she had nothing to distract herself. The four of them had stopped in a small alley between two buildings so that Two could mend her. She was sitting to the side, looking out of the alley, while Two was threading the needle and explaining to Nine about what he was going to do. Two clearly was taking Nine under his wing like he had taken Five, though in a slightly different way. Nine was eager to learn as well and attentively listened to everything that Two said.

The Warrior was glad to see this. It was amazing to find a new Stitchpunk, especially one as open minded and bright eyed as Nine was. Already, Seven was confident that he would be a positive influence at the Sanctuary. As she watched the Emptiness outside of the alley, keeping an eye out for any possible threats, she considered what she was going to do once she returned to the Cathedral. Most likely Two and the others would want her and the twins to stay. She wasn't sure if she was ready to make that decision again.

One had been unbearable to live with under his rules and regulations. She didn't want to be stuck under them again, she refused to be, so she would have to just slip out with the twins in tow. There were a few footsteps behind her, which she only noticed when they were right behind her. Fingers grazed over her patch and she shuddered, then abruptly realized that Two was still talking over with Nine. With a gasp, Seven leapt to her feet and spun around, staring down the crouched male behind her. It was Cat of all Stitchpunks.

"I know you're new to this," Seven began, suppressing her disturbance and alarm into an annoyed tone. "But usually you don't sneak behind someone. Especially someone with a weapon." Cat gave a rumbling purr, like a chuckle, and stared upwards are her. "Though I suppose you recognize the scars. You left them," Seven was more bitter with this. Cat tilted his head in curiosity and furrowed his brows in confusion. Of course, he wouldn't remember, she supposed, because then she could call him out on it. "Forget it. It doesn't matter."

Cat straightened and raised into the standing position. To Seven surprise he looked to her, moved in a step, and let an array of word-like noises out from his voice box. Seven had absolutely no idea what he said or was trying to say. She didn't even know that he could talk. "Excuse me?" she clarified in her own confusion.

Cat spoke slower, stretching the words out and trying to have them back sense. "Imprezz mphck therr, Dove," he crackled out.

She understood none of it, "I really don't know what you're saying."

"Imprezzzevvv baouck thrrrr, Dove," Cat repeated. This time Seven noted the word 'Dove' and, remembering what it meant instantly, realized that it was what he was calling her.

"I'm Dove?" she asked. It made sense enough; doves were white birds and she both had white fabric and wore a bird skull. 'Dove' wasn't too far away from the truth. He gave a purr and a curt nod. Seven was slightly suspicious of the whole thing, putting her guard up further, and continued, "I didn't know you could talk… I can barely understand it, but you must be saying something."

If it was anyone else; the twins, Nine, Six, Seven wouldn't be so distant, but she couldn't forget what he was. Yet Cat wasn't helping with his sudden talking, clearly trying to emulate being a normal Stitchpunk. He repeated the phrase once more, a little more clearly. This time Seven managed to get what he was trying to say, 'Impressive back there, Dove'. The only reason the Warrior caught onto it was because they were the only words that would've made sense. In the end, the garbled mess was a compliment.

"You weren't so bad yourself," Seven responded, trying to keep herself distanced. Cat responded positively to the response and casually crossed his arms, tapping his claws on his arms.

It was now when Two finally wandered over to them. "Alright, my dear. Time to be stitched," Two announced as he held the threaded needle. Seven didn't hide her discomfort at seeing it, but sent the older male a small smile and sat down again. The Inventor moved behind her to work while Cat crouched beside him, watching intently.

"Ah, so someone is a little curious," Two playfully remarked. He then beckoned Nine over, "You can watch too, Nine. It might show you proper stitching… Oh, Seven, you don't mind, do you?" Seven shook her head. "Ah, smashing! Then let us begin!" Teaching or not, Two stitched extremely gently, so the pain was very miniscule. He had also passed this on to Five, which made them both excellent healers. This was why Seven was so eager to trust them and, the few times she was injured, she went to them alone instead of self-healing.

It seemed like learning to stitch and mend oneself was a desired trait. Seven had found herself reluctant to learn it, though she didn't know if it was because she preferred the to do it or because it just seemed so 'typical' for her to learn. Nobody had ever treated her differently because she was a female; even One's behavior seemed primarily targeted towards her reluctance to hide away like he wanted. However, that didn't mean Seven didn't overcompensate. After all, she wasn't just a female, but the only female, if the twins weren't counted.

Soon Two was finished and they stood to go. "We should head back quickly. I don't want to leave One with the twins too long, he'll rub off on them," Seven remarked as she stood. Two smiled but looked a little concerned about something. Cat seemed to give a slight chuckle as though agreeing.

Nine was the only one who seemed to disagree. "I don't know, Seven. You were just stitched; are you sure you don't want to rest first? You could strain yourself."

Seven cracked a smile at his concern, "I've lived through much worse. I can handle it." Nine still looked ready to disagree, but didn't and instead gave a hesitant smile back. Two reached out to pat his shoulder and led him away, all four of them continuing back towards the Cathedral. Cat held his 'trophy' the whole way, paying little attention to it but seemingly wanting to bring it back to the Cathedral.

Eventually they arrived, entering inside and heading towards the Workshop. Once they were outside the curtains, the twins peered out to see them, then followed by running out and greeting them. They migrated quickly to Seven and she smiled warmly at them. "The Beast won't be injuring any more Stitchpunks," she insisted. Maybe she wasn't fully certain of its demise, but she felt no need to worry the two. Though she did anyway as Three somehow got behind her and noticed her new stitches, as they were sewed with blue thread instead of the usual black.

Three let a look of alarm slip onto her shadowed face and beckoned Four over to look as well. Once they were both studying her back, quite curious and concerned, Seven explained. "It got a cheap shot on me. My shield was down, so there was nothing we could-," she cringed as Cat reached out and touched her back again. "-do to stop it. Please don't do that," she frowned to show her discomfort. Cat seemed a little distracted, just looking at her back with a seemingly distant look in his optics.

It wasn't exactly easy to read his expression under his helmet regardless, but there was a distant look. She shrugged him off and approached the workshop, following Two and Nine who stepped through. They were all surprised to not see the Leader standing there waiting for them. Seeing Eight awake, Two smiled and approached the cot. "How are you feeling, Eight?"

The Guard shrugged a bit, "Eh, I've been better."

The Inventor then inquired, "Did One come in here at any point? I expected him to be waiting for us. Five as well."

The Guard glanced to the curtain past Two. He then gave an awkward cough, "Yeah… They took off. They didn't come back yet?"

Two's optics widened and Nine stepped closer, "Wait, he… They left?"

"One actually left the Cathedral?" Seven asked as well, baffled by the comment. "I didn't even think he knew how to do that anymore." Nine expected Eight to immediately defend One, but surprisingly the Guard didn't seem bothered by the comment and shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, that was before you all took off." Two visibly winced and Nine noticed him doing so, but was interrupted by Seven continuing.

"We found the thing that attacked you. It was some sort of Amplifier beast that used sound to inflict pain and stun Stitchpunks."

"I remember something weird like that… I don't know, it was pretty blurry," Eight admitted and looked away.

He looked embarrassed so Two patted his hand and volunteered, "Nine and I both felt those sound waves. They literally knocked me off my feet! I couldn't imagine what would've happened if we dealt with them as long as you did. Cat and Seven were the ones mostly fighting the Beast." Now the large Stitchpunk looked over towards Cat who was sliding past Seven and the twins, and then headed back towards the workbench.

"Did he now? Huh…" Eight added in, his voice unreadable. Though there was a readable voice suddenly present as the curtain was flung open.

"I see you have finally returned!" One's voice boomed and they all looked over. Immediately afterwards everyone was taken aback. One, who came in as menacingly as ever, was a complete mess to behold. There was mud caked on his front, hands, and legs, yet none on his cape, and his cape and crown looked disheveled. He stormed in, glaring mostly towards Two. "I cannot begin to tell you what a nightmare your apprentice just put me through!"

"Excuse me?" Two asked, a soft stutter in his voice. It was clear from his wrinkled mouth that he was suppressing amusement.

"I am completely filthy!" One declared, gesturing down to himself. "And even with a map, he had absolutely no idea where he was going! 'There he is! Over there! I see him!' He was so confident, so sure of himself, that he sent us tumbling down into a ditch full of mud and _still_ believed that you were in earshot!" Two continued to rest his fingers on his chin, afraid that if he moved them he would crack a smile. Or even worse, actual laughter. Nine wasn't so lucky and snickered.

"It is not funny, Nine, so I would suggest you quiet down over there," One growled out. Eight made an amused noise at One's scolding of Nine. "You too. Don't think I didn't hear that," One snapped towards his own guard. By now Cat circled back and was approaching One, which both Nine and Seven noticed.

Seeing him reminded Nine of what he needed to say, "One, we found the actual Beast that attacked Eight. It wasn't Cat."

One seemed a little like he didn't believe it, so Seven added in. "I thought it was him too, but we fought the real Beast. It was a sound based machine that disabled Stitchpunks through noise. We destroyed its amplifier and it will not be a threat again," Seven quickly accessed. It had been a while since she had done something like a report to One and it felt strange.

He seemed to believe what she said, "Very well." He looked towards Cat who now stood beside Two and before him. "Then you are innocent. You may stay in the Sanctuary; you are free of all charges." Cat didn't move away. "What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?" One questioned with suspicion returning.

In response, Cat suddenly dropped forwards onto a knee. The move surprised most of the Stitchpunks, though only One and Eight reacted. One flinched back with his staff to his chest and Eight suddenly leaned off the cot a little more in a protective manner. Yet Cat's next action was very clear. With one hand, he offered his trophy from the beast and did so with his head lowered submissively.

"Uh… Yes, well…" One looked over to Two, confusion on his face. Two seemed equally confused, but made a gesture for him to take it. One seemed disgusted by the idea, but did so. "Ah, yes, thank you," he gritted out as he held the wires like they burned him. "This is a very thoughtful… Gift… Is this an eye?" He looked to Seven for clarification; her amused look said all it had to. Cat was pleased that One had taken the trophy and stood once more, then wandered back into the workshop once again. He wasn't stopped, but Seven turned away from One to watch him leave.

"Eight, do something with this," One discreetly muttered.

Eight took and looked it over, "I'll put it in the collection. It's a good take." Of course, Eight also kept trophies, but not usually like this, and he was suddenly regretting never presenting it to One with such vigor. "You know, Boss, I could always get you one."

The Leader turned on him immediately. "Don't you _ever_ do that. Now, if you all excuse me, I need to go into the Sanctuary and clean as much of my fabric as I can… Then burn the rest." He walked past Five, who was standing at the curtain, and left.

Everything seemed to calm down in that moment. Everyone was together, One wasn't throwing a fit, and the mood was high. Five approached Two and the two briefly conversed, and gave each other an affectionate hug, before turning towards Eight. "Eight, do you feel ready to move upstairs? It might be tender, but you'll be able to be in your own bed," Five suggested, speaking for both himself and Two. The Guard nodded and started to sit upwards with a grunt, his new stitches still sore. To Seven's surprise, Four moved a little closer, optics wide in concern.

Eight noticed her and, in a surprisingly tender move, reached out and ruffled her hood. "I'll live," he insisted with a small smile. Regardless of One and Seven's feud, or of the twins being gone, or anything else in the situation; Eight had always been sweet on the twins. He was more patient with them, more affectionate with them, as could be seen in this current gesture. Four, however, felt it was a continuation of his previous comment. Even though he used a gesture one would use with a child, Four believed she was getting extra attention.

"I think we'll need to borrow Cat's strength," Two remarked and went to fetch the male. Soon they all headed to the bucket lift, except Seven who wanted to rest in the Workshop and Three who stayed with her, and encouraged Four to go with the group.

On the way, as Eight stood to the side in obvious pain, Cat turned the crank, and Two chatted with Four; Nine spoke to Five. "You wouldn't believe how amazing Seven was. I mean, Cat fought well too, but Seven was just flying. It was incredible!" Nine gushed to his friend who smiled back and listened. "I don't know how she learned to fight like that. I can't even imagine how you'd learn that on your own, but she probably did."

"She is something," Five agreed. "Back when Seven lived with us, she protected us like Eight does. She also did a lot more of the scouting than Two or I do. Eight and her used to spar every morning."

Five gestured to Eight, Nine looked to Eight, and Eight added back in. "We both got up at the crack of dawn and sparred until we could barely stand each other." Cat had been silent most of the ride, just turning the crank and raising them into the Sanctuary, but he listened in on the situation with an odd eagerness.

"But I guess that stopped when she left," Nine remarked. Eight hesitated and glanced upwards as though to check for how close they were to the Sanctuary.

Then he said in the most unconvincing tone, "Yeah, it stopped… We don't spar anymore." In no way did anyone in the lift believe him. Either way, they soon stopped at the top and Eight shuffled out, being led to his room by Five and Two, and tailed by a very eager twin. Nine approached Six's cubby and entered inside, the Artist looking to him immediately from his position by the bed.

"Nine!" he chirped with an eager smile and hurried over. "You were gone so long! I-I was worried something happened!"

Nine reassured him, "We found the beast that attacked Eight and the Sanctuary's safe now. We just took a while getting back because Seven needed stitches."

Six's face marred in concern. He didn't like hearing that anyone got hurt, especially Seven. "Is she okay?" he asked in concern. Then he circled Nine, counting his stitches and checking for anything new.

"She's great. Two stitched her and now she's resting."

"Oh, great!" Six smiled as he brushed off some dirt from Nine's shoulder. "Does that mean she's staying?"

Nine rubbed his neck and looked a little concerned. "I'm not actually sure. She didn't say…" His face perked again, "But you wouldn't believe how she fought! I tried too and Cat helped, but Seven was just- It was like when she was fighting Cat before. She's just stunning in action, isn't she?" He looked so impressed by the female Warrior and Six nodded in agreement. Right afterwards he suddenly noticed a growing disturbance. As Nine continued to talk about Seven, Six couldn't help but feel just a little disconcerted.

After all, Seven was a great Warrior, an excellent fighter, and still a kind Stitchpunk. Six himself was a little awkward and disproportioned. He never compared himself to her before, but he couldn't help it when Nine was involved. Before Nine had been so interested in studying him; it would be so easy for Seven to become the object of Nine's fascination. Maybe she already had. It certainly already looked like Nine was fawning over her. Midway through Nine's long description, he just happened to look over and notice how downtrodden Six looked.

The Artist was rubbing his arm, looking a little uncomfortable, and Nine felt concern replace his previous excitement. "Six? Is something wrong?"

Six perked immediately, "No, no, no! I was just-… I just was worried, is all. Nothing's wrong."

Nine wasn't fully sure if this was the truth, but he decided that maybe it was best to get his mind off it. "So now that I'm back, I was thinking of looking through the storage room and seeing if I can find anything we can create; like the Lightstaff." He held out the staff and Six looked to it. "Want to come help? You have a creative eye so I'm sure you'll be more than able to make something with me," Nine offered. He did want to spend time with Six as he had become rather close to Six, though he wouldn't lie to himself; he didn't like seeing the Artist so discouraged.

Unlike Five or the others, Six didn't seem to leave his room very much, and Nine had a feeling that because of this he was rather out of touch with the others. As such, Nine probably didn't help him by leaving without much warning. Suddenly Nine had the urge to take Six out into the Emptiness. Now with the Beasts out of the way it had to be at least a little safer. Not that Nine intended to take Six too far from the Cathedral, but he wanted to experience more of the world, and he wanted to do that with Six.

The striped male smiled a little and agreed, "O-Okay! I'm not sure how much help I can be…"

Nine beamed back, "I think you underestimate yourself… In fact… Not today, but would you like to go out into the Emptiness with me?"

Six's mismatched optics widened in surprise. "What?" he squeaked out, surprised by the suggestion.

The zippered male rubbed his staff holding arm with his free one, a little sheepish in his motions. "I don't mean far. Definitely not far enough that we'd be in danger. I just want to go out and look around a bit more, and I'd like if you'd come with me." Six knew he couldn't say no. Part of him wanted to; he didn't feel safe or even remotely comfortable out in the Emptiness. However, if he said no then it would be another thing Seven had over him.

"Okay," Six agreed. "…But only if you make me a staff too! Let's go see what we can use." His smile became more genuine as he grabbed Nine's wrist and coaxed him to the storage room. They passed right by the bucket lift and headed down the hall. Meanwhile, nearby in a separate room was Eight, Two, Five, and Four. After Eight collapsed on his bed, still feeling too rough to do anything more, and Two and Five started to leave. Four stayed by his bed and watched the guard lay on the bed. At some point, he noticed Four was still there and looked back.

"I'm fine, kid. You don't have to stick around with me." Eight's voice was reassuring and affectionate, but his wording immediately caused Four to wince. He had called the twin a 'kid', a child, which only reassured that he too saw the little librarian as a pup. Yet Four didn't exactly seemed turned away; if anything, she wanted to prove to the guard that she was, in fact, an adult like he was.

Though before she could do anything like it, Five affectionately guided her away, "He needs his rest. We can visit Eight after he wakes back up." Four reluctantly agreed, but she couldn't help but feel childish by being led off. It was as though nobody took her and her twin seriously.

She swore at that moment that she would get Eight to do so. No matter what, she was going to get Eight to see her as an adult.

* * *

 **Mable: Will Four succeed in getting Eight to see her as more of an adult instead of a child?... Well, we'll see in the coming chapters. XD The next chapter will be posted as soon as it's ready. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Fight is Over

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! So, the plan is to start posting on Sundays. I don't know if I can manage weekly updates with the surprising number of requests I suddenly had come in, I'm currently at seven, but I'm certainly going to try! ^-^ It just seems like a better option than random updates here and there.  
Also, minor note, but I noticed a lot of odd mistakes I made typing this chapter. Probably the effects of me writing at two in the morning again. I **_**think**_ **I caught them all, but if I didn't then I'll come back in and correct them.  
Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Ten: The Fight is Over_

Seven awoke from her brief nap feeling refreshed. She slowly rolled over on the cot and looked across the workshop. She could see the twins nearby; Four sitting on a stool looking a little depressed and Three patting the librarian's shoulder, optics flickering in a reassuring way. Seven alerted them to her presence, "Is everything okay?" They looked to her in surprise, then both nodded eagerly. Four leapt to her feet and scurried over with Three in tow. They looked to Seven with concern and interest.

She responded to them with an affectionate smile, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. What's wrong, are you missing the Library?" Four looked down, bothered by something, and Three looked to her before nodding in agreement. The Warrior was a little concerned that perhaps it was something else, but went along with it. "Maybe it's about time we headed back to the Library," she suggested. The twins didn't seem as eager as she anticipated, but nodded in agreement. She stood, grabbed her spear, and led the way out of the workshop.

There was regret in not being able to signal to Two that she was going, but Seven didn't want to risk staying around for too long. One would get the wrong idea, Two would get the wrong idea, and the others would clamor for them to stay even though Seven didn't feel comfortable in doing so. Bedroom or not, she assured herself that she didn't have a place here, and led the twins out into the Emptiness.

She only got a few steps out of the Cathedral before she heard movement nearby. Looking over, she came eye to eye with Cat who waited by the door. Seven hummed briefly and Cat started to stand as though to approach her. The Warrior looked out towards the Emptiness, "Tell Two that we'll be back at the Library. I've rested and am fine. He doesn't need to worry." Cat stopped beside her, watching her expectantly but saying nothing and giving no sign that he agreed to her request.

Seven watched him for some time before taking the bait, "What are you doing?" It was now that he reached forward, a very mischievous smile as he did so, and batted at her spear. She stared back, moving her spear. Cat swatted at it again and was a little firmer. Seven now gripped it with both hands, "What's wrong with you?" Her tone was laced with suspicion and slight annoyance, but was followed by another swat from Cat. Now she nudged back, as though to swat him away in the motion, but he reacted with a brief purr and a caught her spear.

Somehow even with all of the uncertain body language, Seven seemed to catch on at this point. Her suspicious look lingered for a few more moments before she gave a weary exhale. "Three, Four, head back inside. I'll be done in a minute." The twins weren't worried as Seven's tone didn't exhibit any sort of actual fear. If anything, they were simply curious, and watched the two as they entered back into the Cathedral. "If you're stalling me, it's not going to work… But I'll play your game. I could use the exercise to loosen up the new stitches."

Seven wasn't sure why she suddenly had a change of focus. She was intending to just brush him off and leave… But he seemed to want to spar, and she could use a brief warm up. Sparring wasn't just for training when it came to Seven. It was also for blowing off steam and the stress that came with existing in such a world. It helped keep Seven balanced and sharp. Normally she wouldn't want to spar so close to an injury, but it had been mentally exhausting day, and she wasn't too worried about Cat's fight.

"Here are the rules, and I will give you rules because I know you need them. We can only go into the Emptiness as far as we see here. I don't want to get too far from the twins. We use what weapons we have and our bodies; I don't feel like fighting off scraps today." Cat nodded in agreement and Seven finished, "Most importantly, don't go easy on me because of what happened earlier." This was important to say, as Seven didn't want Cat to go easy. It felt patronizing to even think about it, even though she understood why one would think they would need to go easier.

Though out of everyone, she thought that Cat was most likely not to do so, mostly out of self-control. Or lack thereof. She stepped out further from the Cathedral and then took a stance. Cat followed suit and stood before her. He bared his claws, hunched a little as he watched her through the holes in his helmet. She lowered her own and held the spear in front of her. She kept her shield close to her, preparing to defend herself if he got in too close. Then Cat struck forwards, darting towards her and swiping at her.

She raised her shield to catch him and went to stab forwards. Unlike a weapon, Cat's hands were more agile, so he quickly recovered. As the spear jolted towards him, he dodged to the side and knocked it aside with his claws. The warrior turned, twisting out of the position and facing Cat from the opposite side where she caught his leg. He fell into a kneel, but caught the spear as it came down at his head, wrapping his claws tighter around it and rolling back. This time he actually did get her weapon out of her hand as he did a backwards somersault.

Seven was surprised, but undeterred, and as Cat left the weapon on the ground and sprung forward, Seven responded by rushing in. She put all her strength and weight into her shield, trying to shove Cat back. While it held him at bay, his focus suddenly went on getting rid of the shield. It became a tug of war where he tried to yank it off and Seven turned her arm enough to keep it on. Her optics darted to the spear laying on the ground. She knew she would have to make a sacrifice and managed to turn them until she was closer towards her weapon.

Then she released the shield, him throwing it aside, and literally dove to her spear. She rolled into a kneel, aiming her spear directly at him as he prepared to pounce. Though this pounce slowed into a stumble and a halt. Seven knew she had him, spear aimed toward him, and he raised his hands as though in submission.

Though he followed the gesture with a chuckle that was drenched in the sound of purring. "You got me, Dove," Cat admitted in defeat. It was still jostled, but Seven could understand it immediately.

She lowered her weapon, "So you talk now? Or talk better, I suppose." She started to stand as she watched the former Beast lower his claws. "Just because I won doesn't mean we have to stop," she pointed out. Immediately she had a mental image of Two scolding her about overdoing it. "But perhaps we should take a brief break. The last thing I need is to strain anything fighting you. There's a chance that a beast could return and be an actual threat," Seven lightly teased with a small smile to show she was doing so.

Though she suddenly caught herself when she realized that she was becoming a bit more comfortable with Cat. The though immediately made her uneasy and she strengthened her guard as she guided him off to the side, sitting down on a hubcap. "That was quite a display with One earlier," Seven pointed out. She didn't ask anything and yet her tone held a sort of questioning in its abrupt silence. Cat sat down beside her and looked towards the Cathedral in sight. At first, Seven thought he was going to stay silent, but right as she turned to speak he did so again.

"You do… Whaat hazzt bidoune?..." Cat tested the words as though they were foreign. It was clear that he was not used to speaking, and indeed he wasn't. Cat knew what he wanted to say, but transferring it into words was the difficult part. It was also clear that some words were coming easier than others. One moment he could speak a straight sentence, the next he was struggling. Seven could only mentally note to forewarns Two, as he would have to help teach Cat how to speak.

"You did what you had to… I understand," Seven sympathized. "I suppose since One was the one accusing you earlier, you want to win him over. Because he is leader. I understand that." It wasn't something Seven would do, she thought One's ego was already too big, but it made plenty of sense.

Cat adjusted his helmet and looked to her curiously. "Winn-you won't be izz eaisy?" he asked in a surprisingly bold question, a playful smile on his lips. The question took Seven aback.

"I'm afraid not," she answered. Then she waited until she reluctantly added more on, "But I am impressed with you fighting for us earlier. I can't cast you in suspicion like One with you clearly trying… So, I will try to be more civil." Cat began to rumble in his chest, clearly purring in delight at the words. The sound confused Seven, who didn't think he was close enough to a feline to purr, but shrugged it off quickly.

Soon after she turned away, she noticed his hand brushing her back once again. She wasn't as defensive as before, but still curt. "What are you doing?" Seven quietly asked, almost as though warning him. He traced her wounds silently. "You're the one who put them there. Is that why you're so interested? It was one of the first times you dragged me to that birdcage…" She stood now, but didn't leave. She just stood and faced him, continuing her comment, "It's what led me to fight back."

Cat remembered the event she was talking about. Barely, it was hard to remember, but he remembered taking her to the birdcage. For some odd reason, something about her tone made him feel uncomfortable. He stayed silent in response, knowing that he couldn't voice a good enough answer currently. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say in this situation anyway.

Thankfully, Seven wanted to change the conversation as quickly as possible. "What does it feel like to change bodies?" The effort of speaking had, so far, paid off for Cat.

It was still somewhat hard to comprehend, sort of making him feel lightheaded when he tried to focus, but it was allowing him more access to the other Stitchpunks. "I want to scratch my fa-ha-bric til it shreds," Cat uncomfortably lamented, rubbing his hands together. His claws twitched in unrest, already wanting to jump and rip at the material.

Seven was still sympathetic, "New fabric feels like that. It'll back off after a while." She noticed when he moved to rub his thighs that he was slightly clawing at them. "And don't do that or you will tear it," she quipped with a small smile. He brought out the worst emotional baggage she had and yet, somehow, Cat was still at least a little amusing. It made him seem a little more like a Stitchpunk and a little less like a possible monster. Seven couldn't believe what she was doing. Allowing herself to become closer to Cat was a recipe for disaster.

Yet she found herself easing a bit more, "Maybe we can get in one more round before I have to leave. Unless you're too tired?" Cat's following smile, eager and overconfident, was enough of an answer to her.

* * *

Two did tend to get distracted easily. So, when he whipped around the hallway corner, studying the eye trophy that Cat had brought back, he had barely been paying attention to where he was going. Thus, he nearly ran straight into another Stitchpunk. His optics raised abruptly and landed on One's own as the leader stared him down. Two could only take a step back out of reflex and mentally scold himself. After all, he was still trying to avoid One, either for the scolding coming or the inevitable conversation continuation on the horizon.

"Ah. Evening, One. I'm sorry, I was distracted," Two excused as he looked down to the eye. Anything to not directly look One in the eye.

"I can see that," One murmured and looked at the eye with a scowl. Two inwardly felt amusement at the action; he knew how picky One was with things that dropped off Beasts. One detested anything disgusting, anything revolving a machine, and he knew that this being in the Cathedral was probably driving him insane. The older male then straightened and continued. "Come to my chambers. We need to speak and I do not wish to be overheard 'accidentally'."

Two blinked at both suggestions, noticing when One looked past him and looked back to see Five in a nearby doorway. However, Five didn't seem to be paying attention. Two didn't exactly want to get himself stuck inside of One's room, so he offered another suggestion. "I was planning on heading down to the Workshop. Why don't you accompany me? We should be alone there." It felt easier to be in a room that he had more of a possession over.

One agreed, "Very well." Then the both headed to the lift, down the lift, and soon entered the workshop together.

"What did you need to speak with me about?" Two inquired as he approached the workbench. He could only hope that it wasn't about what he let slip.

"It is about this situation between us," One began. He stayed quiet for a few moments before sighing. "Two, I… I have been thinking about our situation and…" He hated doing it; he hated admitting that he was wrong, having to submit to anyone, but he did. "I was terribly wrong in not letting them go after you. In not specifically sending them to the factory to save you. I was so… Blind to reality. I wasn't even thinking of what my actions would lead to…" He exhaled tiredly, "And, yes, perhaps I have been too hard on Nine and Five… And Cat as well."

He struggled to get the name 'Cat' out. "You are right; I do tend to be more firm with them and I should give them a bit more space. Five especially has proven himself to me, regardless of his poor direction skills." Normally Two would defend Five's map reading and direction, but he was partially aware of what happened earlier, so he said nothing. Instead he stared at One in surprise as he continued.

"I'll be honest, Two. I never believed that you had it in you to lecture me as you did the other night. At first I was furious that you would say such things. To your leader, no less… But then I realized that as much as it should've offended me, I felt something else as well." One inhaled, paused, and released a quick, "I respected you." Two's optics were wider than ever. "Not even the Scientist was capable of calling out his leader on his faults and I… I am proud of you for that." One had started this intending to bluff his way back into Two's good graces.

However, by now One wasn't exactly sure what he was thinking. It was so hard to get every word out, but if he was simply bluffing then he didn't know why they were so difficult. He didn't even know what he was doing as he continued to let the words out. "I do see you as my right-hand man and I… I hope you can forgive me." Then was the hardest part. One knew he didn't have to say it, but it pried out through his lips. In one fell swoop he lost all control.

His face gave away his guilt, his optics briefly settled on the floor before returning to Two, and One finished with the only thing he could say that wouldn't be quieted. "I'm sorry."

The workshop became incredibly quiet after that point. Two sat there, dumbfounded, staring at One as though the leader suddenly started talking in rhymes. One's optics returned to the floor where his dignity now laid in shambles.

"One… I- I never expected you to say that… of course I accept your apology." One was surprised at how quickly Two decided this. The Inventor continued, "I am proud of you too… I don't think I've ever heard you honestly apologize. It… It doesn't change what happened, but it is a change in you. That's something that I know you don't give out easily, which either means I earned it or you… You actually wanted to say it." The last section was said in surprise, as though Two suddenly realized how shocking it was.

"I don't like how things have changed between us," One admitted, as though defending himself from his own behavior. "You… Have always been the Stitchpunk I looked to for an intelligent opinion and since then we have- Well, you already can see how things have become between us."

Two nodded slowly in agreement, "Yes. Things have been more tense." He cut off for a few moments before looking to the leader and staring. It was almost as though he was unsure what to say. Then, suddenly, he got a warm smile, "And I'm not very happy with it either." A jolt of something, One wasn't sure what it was, passed under the leader's buckles. Two didn't seem to notice anything amiss and continued, "Perhaps we can continue this conversation over our game of chess? We were interrupted midway through, if I recall correctly."

There returned that playful smile that the inventor tended to get. Even though he had never fully said he forgave One, only that he accepted his apology, One was content. He gave a slight smile in response, though found an odd reaction internally as his pulse rate began to increase. Two passed by him, One noticed how close they brushed, and then headed out of the curtain. The leader followed him and they approached the bucket lift once more. Whatever Two was intending to do in the workshop was immediately forgotten about.

On the way to the lift, One noticed something odd. "What are they doing?" he questioned under his breath as he noticed the twins by the entrance.

Two gave a questioning hum and looked over, then called over. "Three? Four? What are you doing at the door?"

"Seven has probably already left," One remarked with a huff, completely ignoring Two's unintentionally rhyme.

"No, no. I believe she may have headed to her room," Two defended and turned to the twins again. "Come back into the Sanctuary with us. I'm sure we can find something for you two to do." His tone was affectionately paternal, and the twins hesitated only a moment before hurrying over and boarding the lift. They quickly noticed a sort of ease between the two older Stitchpunks, less tenseness than before, and could only smile a little.

Maybe One and Two would be comfortable together again. Maybe Seven and Cat would follow suit.

* * *

 **Mable: Hopefully this new plan will go well and I'll be able to start posting chapters every Sunday. ^-^ That would be a nice change, to have a competent schedule and keep consistent postings of chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11: Scouting with Six

**Mable: So here we are, Sunday again! I like how this new schedule is going. I got a little more time to work on the chapter and I didn't necessarily feel like I had to rush, because I had the week to do it. Maybe this will work out for the better. ^-^ Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Eleven: Scouting with Six_

A shrill scream echoed through the Sanctuary. It was filled with panic and fear, warning of danger, and signaling something that could be waiting in the dark. Naturally, both Nine and Five awoke at hearing it, but Nine recognized the voice first and sprang into action. He sprinted out of the room, down the hall, into the throne room, and into Six's cubby. Five was shortly behind him, but was more concerned than afraid. He already knew what was happening before they ran into the gallery together. It was only then that Nine saw Six.

Six was in fits; thrashing on his bed and crying out at something that wasn't there. Nine hurried over and knelt by his bedside. He grabbed his shoulders and gave him a light, though still frantic shake. "Six, we're here! Wake up!" Nine called out in an attempt to rouse the artist. The striped male tossed about a little more, tangling in his blankets further. His optics started to flicker open as a new voice could be heard.

A groggy One was coming down the stairway to the throne room, "What is it? What happened?"

"Six is having another nightmare," Five quietly responded back. Nine heard the comment and suddenly understood, but was still just as worried. Six's mismatched optics finally shot open and he was left panting on the bed.

"Six, are you okay?" Nine quietly asked, letting his hands slide down to his arms. Six didn't look quite 'okay' though. He looked confused, fearful, and even when he realized the truth he got a look of shame on his face. He didn't have to say anything; Nine scooped him into a warm hug regardless. As Nine held Six, Five patted his back and One entered the room.

They weren't alone for long; both Two and Eight soon appeared in the throne room as well. "Eight, you should be in bed," One scolded the latter.

Eight was too groggy to give more than a weary, "What's going on?" One quickly recited the situation to Eight and Two.

Two responded by hurrying over beside Nine and Five so that he could also comfort Six. "It's all over now, Six. Nothing in your dream can hurt you." Six nodded stiffly, but then moved in closer to Nine's hold and rested his head on his shoulder.

Nine rubbed over his back and number before looking to the others. "How long has this been going on?" he inquired. He could feel Six shift against him uncomfortably.

He patted his back reassuringly as Five volunteered to explain. "It's been going on for years, Nine. They're off and on, not every night…" the healer gave a small, affectionate smile. "But Six… He handles it better than I would." Six responded by blindly reaching back. Five knew what he wanted and took his hand in response, holding it securely.

Eight now looked to One who straightened tiredly. "We don't seem to be needed here. Eight, let us head back to…" The leader had turned to face the stairs, but slowed to a halt as he noticed the bucket lift was lowered. "Hmm…" He wandered over to the shaft and looked downward. His optics immediately widened for a split second before narrowing further than before. "Well, well. What exactly do we have here?"

Down a little way was the bucket lift, and both Seven and Cat inside. Seven was leaning on the edge, arms folded, while Cat was sitting on the bottom.

One knew exactly what they were doing; waiting for the others to leave so that they could sneak in. "Two Stitchpunks caught in the act of sneaking out? Or sneaking in, I assume," One pointed out matter-of-factly.

Seven gave a very audible exhale of frustration, "It's not sneaking in when I was doing nothing wrong. It is merely me trying to avoid a confrontation with you."

One looked haughtier than ever, "Which means there was something I needed to confront you on. You clearly knew what you were doing was wrong." The Warrior rolled her optics and started to turn the crank, raising them into the Sanctuary.

Once they got into the throne room, Seven changed her attention to Six's cubby. "Is he alright?" she asked with concern and Five nodded in agreement. "Good… I hope you can get back to sleep, Six. You need all the rest you can get." She was clearly worried about the artist's wellbeing above all else.

Even One was pushed to the side, though he didn't react to it well. "Small talk won't erase that you were clearly out in the Emptiness at night," he pointed out. He then turned towards Cat, "And you, go to bed." Cat raised a brow and One seemed alarmed. "What- But you obeyed me earlier!" As though Cat's confusion was a sudden act of defiance.

Two stepped in at this point, "I'll lead them both to their rooms. One, it's too late to get worked up by little things." One wanted to argue with Two. He wanted to insist, to be firm, and he knew all the others expected it. However, something held him back. He couldn't tell if it was their talk from earlier, but One found himself passively submitting to Two's suggestion.

"Fine," One agreed. He then reinstated with a firm, "But we will be discussing this in the morning. I am not dropping this; I am just unwilling to get in a fight before I'm expected to go back to sleep." He couldn't tell who looked more surprised; Seven, who had never seen One back off, or Eight, who was looking at One like he had just began to speak in French. By now the twins were already peeking out of the hall as well, so they also witnessed the display. Two gave a thankful smile, One inwardly shuddered, and the Inventor beckoned the two away.

Once the three were gone, Three nudged Four out into the throne room. The twin looked to her sister in unsureness, Three beckoned further, and Four finally took a few steps out to approach Eight. In his state, he didn't need to be awake at this hour. She tentatively tapped his arm and he looked down, "Hmm?" Four followed by taking his hand and tried to tug him away. Eight seemed confused, but also amused, and also willing as he followed. "Looks like I'm going somewhere, Boss. Need me to do anything?"

"No, no. I'm fine," One insisted with a wave. "I'm going back to bed. You just make sure you get some rest." As Eight was led away by Four, and Three vanished down the hall, One turned to the remaining three. "You all should also try to get back to sleep. I know it's hard, Six, but the likelihood of you having a reoccurring nightmare is very slim." He then turned to the stairs with a dismissive, "Good night."

Once he was gone, Six looked to Nine and Five, "Can I stay with you two?" The request didn't exactly surprise either of them.

"Of course, Six!" Five answered with a warm smile.

Nine hooked an arm around Six's shoulders, "Come on. We have a big day tomorrow, so you're going to need the rest." The artist nodded in agreement and stood with him. The arm around his shoulders was encouraging, affectionate, and already he felt like he could forget the nightmare. He would feel better once in their room.

As the passed through the throne room, Five curiously chimed in, "What are we doing tomorrow?"

* * *

Six was extremely groggy by time he awoke in the morning. Nine and Five were getting out of their beds, which roused him as he was sleeping in bed with Five, who had the larger bed. Normally he would try to get the sleep he could get, but knowing that Nine wanted to scout today made him want to get out of bed. He sat upwards and rubbed over his face tiredly.

He was noticed by Nine and Five. "Six, you might want to go back to sleep. That was a pretty rough night and you could use the rest," Five encouraged worriedly.

"I'm okay," Six excused with a yawn. "I want to get up. I'm okay." He stretched and climbed off of the bed, eagerly looking to Nine. "We're still going, right?"

Nine seemed surprised, but got a pleasant smile. "Yeah, sure! We shouldn't be out too long, but we should probably try to find the Lightstaff parts while we're out there." Six nodded in agreement. As Nine got his things together to get ready, Six loyally followed him with an eager smile. This would be time that they would get to be alone together; he couldn't take that for granted.

Soon Nine was ready to leave. After he waved goodbye to Five he escorted Six onto the lift and they lowered down into the depths of the Cathedral. They soon were leaving through the front doors and onto the street. "Which way are we going?" Six asked curiously as he followed at Nine's back.

The zippered male smiled back to him, "Anywhere you want to go! Today's about exploring and having fun, so why don't you lead the way?" Nine wasn't afraid of them getting lost. Especially not since he brought a map with them.

"Okay… Okay!" Six smiled and stepped forwards. He then boldly took Nine's hand and started to escort him. Nine was surprised by the grab, but smiled to the striped male and squeezed back. They wandered along one of the main roads, the concrete warm against their feet and the sun beating down. It felt nice to be outside again; Six had forgotten just how nice it was. He couldn't stop beaming and was nearly dragging Nine along with him.

That was, until Nine suddenly pointed something out in the distance. "Hey, Six… What's that building?" The building Nine was pointing to was a large one, but didn't manage to be as tall as the Cathedral or as wide as the Library. It also looked styled more like a home.

"That's the mansion," Six pointed out. "I remember One once said the human leader lived there." The zippered male was entranced by the grand building. It looked like it had once been fronted by shrubbery or a garden, but the poison had killed it and now only vines and weeds grew back. Most of the first-floor windows were broken, but the upper windows were still intact.

"Why didn't anyone try to live in there afterwards?" Nine asked curiously.

Six didn't seem too certain, "There were still people in it when we found the Sanctuary, I think?"

This made enough sense. Either way, Nine looked to the mansion with eagerness in his optics. "Want to go check around inside?"

Again, Six didn't seem too sure about it. "Umm… Okay," Six agreed with slight hesitation. His biggest fear was of the possibility of beasts inside the mansion. There was no doubt it would be dark and darkness alone was the perfect environment for any beasts.

"If we hear anything then we can always leave," Nine offered. Six nodded, willing to go anywhere with Nine if it meant proving that he was just as able to travel as Seven was. They crossed the street and climbed the steps to the front door. During the war, many of the doors in builds and homes were either left open or destroyed. This was not the case with the mansion. Instead, the heavy doors leading into the front seemed to be sealed tightly closed.

"There's probably another way in," Nine pointed out and quickly hopped down from the steps into the patch of garden. He pushed through the weeds, Six following closely behind, and circled the walls around the mansion. It didn't take long to find a small window that led down into the basement. This time, the glass on the window was broken and Nine was able to pull out enough for them to slip through. "Be careful, the glass is sharp. It'll probably…" Nine cut off as he suddenly noticed the inside of the basement.

Something had apparently crashed through from the upper floor, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling and in the floor, which was a mess of broken wood and cement. Apparently, the mansion's interior wasn't as intact as he thought it would be. Suddenly, Six hopped down from the window into the basement. Nine had an instant of panic, knowing the floor was at least seven feet below, but then realized that he landed on a shelf right below them. A shelf that Nine somehow hadn't noticed. Six looked upwards expectantly with a tiny, eager smile, which coaxed Nine to jump down as well.

They followed the shelf a little way, then dropped down onto a standing shelf further down. They used this to climb down to the floor and then walked the long way around the basement and to the basement stairs. The stairs were mostly intact and let out into a long hallway that stretched the length of the mansion. Unlike the basement, the hall seemed to be in slightly better shape. Most of the furniture was knocked over and at least one of the doors was barricaded, but the wallpaper was only slightly peeling and there wasn't any visible mold or holes in the paneling.

They continued down the hall until they arrived in the main foyer. In the center of the hall laid a mound of broken crystals which seemed to have come from a fixture above.

"A chandelier! Look!" Six chirped in delight, though faltered right afterwards. "But… Why did only part of it fall off?"

Nine questioned this as well, but didn't dwell on it, "I don't know. Why don't you grab a piece to bring home with us?" This caused the Artist to perk immediately and he scurried over to the mound. It didn't take him long to choose a teardrop shaped piece of crystal.

The Stitchpunks climbed the next set of stairs to the second floor. This time the house was a little more in disarray. Multiple doors were locked, but a few were open to reveal ransacked rooms. One room, what looked to be a master bedroom, had all the furniture on its side except for the bed. "Could you imagine sleeping in a bed like that?" Nine asked with a sort of interested tone. Ideas of how he could make a Stitchpunk sized counterpart to this bed rushed through his mind. "I think you'd sleep better in one of those."

"I think I sleep better with you," Six admitted. Right afterwards he was struck by heat, embarrassment, and was forced to add in, "Or Five…"

Nine sent him a warm smile and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you're welcome in our room any time. And, hey, if we can make you a bigger bed then maybe I can share yours more frequently." The suggestion got a darker blush and a wider smile out of Six, and Nine couldn't help but feel an amused joy at seeing it. They then continued along down the hallway and towards the next set of stairs.

A large hole had fallen through in the hallway and was then covered in a few flimsy boards. The boards weren't nailed into place and instead seemed half-hazardly thrown down so that something could pass by. Nine led the way over one of the boards while Six followed behind. It wobbled on the unsteady footing it had; the little bit of floor it was on had become rotten and the board sunk into it. One wrong step caused it to tilt slightly and Six stumbled, staring down through a crack in two of the boards. He grasped Nine's arm out of reflex.

"It's okay, we're safe," Nine responded, laying a hand on his back while the other held the staff.

Six sent an embarrassed smile, "I just- You know I don't do good with heights."

Nine chuckled, "I think I remember something like that." He coaxed the smaller to the safer boards on the other side. They continued along towards the stairs and up into the third floor. The third floor was somewhat reminiscent of an attic, though was still furnished like living quarters. The stairs let out into a large room with couches and a few tables.

This room looked to be surprisingly untouched except for some boot prints on the carpet. The roof had a few cracks in it and one hole was visible on the far side, but it was mostly intact. A large, bay window stared out over the city. Six's optics landed on the window and he eagerly grabbed Nine's wrist, dragging him over. They climbed onto the bay window, Nine giving Six a boost to climb onto the dusty pillows lining the bay window. Nine unhinged the window and pushed it open before sitting down alongside Six and staring out over the Emptiness.

It wasn't as much of a view as Nine would've wanted. Dark clouds were starting to move in from the north-western direction. The buildings past the mansion were severely damaged and eventually he could see the wall that surrounded the city. Nine gave a soft exhale, feeling a burst of melancholy from the sight. Part of him wished he could see what the city, the world, looked like before the war destroyed it to this extent.

Six crossed his legs comfortably and sighed, "It's beautiful."

Nine's head snapped to face him, "…Really?"

"It is!" Six insisted and pointed out. "Just look at it! The sun is so bright and the sky is so blue. Even the clouds coming in are just another contrast of color. Oh, and look at all the ivy on that building! It's so green!" It was truly something only an Artist could see, Nine deduced. Though right afterwards Six added in, "You could humor me." Nine blinked in surprise and looked back, now to notice that Six had a different kind of smile. This time it was more like a smirk, playful and joking. It took him off guard, but Nine found himself smiling right back.

"No, no, I get it!" Nine insisted. "I just… I guess you see it better than me. You are the Artist, after all."

Six looked back out at the scenery, "Maybe… I wish I could draw something like this, but I couldn't draw this with these." He looked down to his fingers. "This would need paint. You can't sketch with paint."

Nine now became much more interested in what Six was saying instead of what was outside. "What if I could get you paint? If I did, would you drawn scenes like these more instead of just… The Source?"

Six seemed to contemplate it for a moment. He rubbed at his key, hummed a bit, and then answered. "I would. I would love to."

Nine now started to stand, offering the shorter male his hand. "Then that's our goal! We'll go scouting for paint so that you can start on your masterpiece," Nine suggested with an eager smile. Six smile back, but almost tentatively took Nine's hand as he stood. He still felt weird having anyone so comfortable with touching his hands; only Two had been that interested. Five wasn't overly interested, but it didn't bother him either.

They soon headed back down to the first floor, crossing over the rickety boards again and deciding to head through a broken window instead of back through the basement. The window chosen was a lower one in the kitchen, as it was almost entirely shattered and had a small cabinet underneath it to climb. They eagerly climbed the cabinet to the window and prepared to jump down. A large flower pot sat below that Six lined up with. He seemed reluctant to jump down onto it and the firm mud inside of it.

"Go on, Six, it'll be fine. It's just like the boards," Nine suggested with a warm smile. He was standing on the bricks of the window sill nearby. The only reason he hadn't gone first, from what Six could see, was just to get Six to go first. Nine was definitely the type that thought positively of facing one's fears. Even if Six's fears weren't necessarily hopping down from this high of a height. Maybe Nine just assumed it was the same scenario, so Six just went along with it. Carefully he shuffled towards the end, stood for a moment, and then hopped down.

The earth in the flowerpot had collected water during the last rain, so it was softer than usual. This helped ease the impact, though Six still managed to land on his backside instead of his feet. He dropped from the flower pot while Nine started to cross the window seal to the flower pot. Unfortunately, Nine didn't realize that one of the bricks had been loosened over the years, and even the slightest amount of pressure caused it to tilt to the side. Nine had his left hand free and tried to grab at a shard of glass to balance himself, but it was too far out of reach.

With a cry, Nine tumbled right off the window's edge and the dislodged brick. It wasn't a far fall, so he landed in a heap on the ground but wasn't injured. With a groan, he shoved himself upwards, looking up to see Six looking alarmed. Though right afterwards, Six started to snicker a bit, clearly trying to suppress it. Nine got an embarrassed smile, feeling clumsier than ever. Six's smile dropped and his mismatched optics stared at the window, a look of panic suddenly appearing in them. Nine looked back towards the window.

In the moment he did, the brick had suddenly slid out the rest of the way and started to fall. It was so sudden that Nine didn't have a chance to get up. However, instead of feeling the weight of the brick collapsing onto him, he watched as Six suddenly jumped beside him. It was almost like he intended to catch the brick, dropping his crystal and spreading his arms upward, and before Nine could react something happened. It was so sudden that he could barely see it in the instant it happened, but the brick suddenly jolted off course.

It landed heavily on the ground nearby, but didn't strike Nine. Six gasped and collapsed to his knees. He grabbed at his head, dragging his fingers through his yarn, and gave an agonized groan of pain. Nine took a few seconds to get past his shock and only then scrambled forwards to Six. He laid a hand on Six's back and tried to turn him towards him. "Six, are you okay?! What was that?!"

Six struggled to speak past heavy panting, "It's…. It's not anything…."

"It certainly looked like something!" Nine firmly stated. "Six… You saved me. That was- How did you do that?" His optics were filled with inquiry, with wonder, and with absolutely no fear. Six felt his resolve slip as he saw that trusting look. Nine wasn't afraid of what he could potentially do. For that, Six couldn't lie to him about it, and as soon as the pain in his head waned he began.

"Nine, I… There's something the others don't know," Six admitted quietly. His voice was cluttered with dread and he gave an uneasy smile, "I'm… I'm more different than I look…" He cut off again, staring for a few seconds before beginning to stand. Nine helped him do so and the Artist wobbled slightly. "Let's go look for the paint. I'll tell you on the way… I promise."

Nine agreed, both out of wanting answers and for Six's own sake. Regardless, he knew he was about to learn more than he expected. He had already seen something completely amazing.

Nine already thought Six was amazing before this. This only confirmed that it was true.

* * *

 **Mable: Looks like Six has something he's been hiding. That's not too unexpected; it's hard to see a gift as special when nobody else has it. When you're the odd one out. Perhaps Nine can help him become more comfortable in his own fabric? The next chapter will be posted next Sunday! I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter 12: Decisions, Decisions

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! Without further delay, here is the chapter at hand. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twelve: Decisions, Decisions_

"It's called telekinesis… And it's not normal."

Six's voice was shaky as he and Nine continued to wander through the Emptiness on their quest for paint. Or, in reality, the quest that was simply an excuse to not return home too quickly after the reveal. He was afraid of getting home too quickly and it flaring up. Or worse, have Nine not understand the consequences of them knowing and end up telling everyone. That could lead to an immediate disaster.

"I learned about it a long time ago, but I… I control it okay. I don't use it unless I'm alone," Six continued to explain. "I didn't know what it was called for a long time, but then them- the twins- they had a book talking about things like that… It also said that it wasn't real. That nobody else was ever proven to have it. I don't know, maybe humans had it and hid it? Maybe the Scientist, Papa, maybe he had it. I don't know…"

"So you just… Were born with it?" Nine asked in shock. "Six, I don't know if you realize it or not, but that _is_ incredible!" There he was again with the eager wonder. Six could only feel a blush as he saw how excited Nine continuously got about his special gift.

"I guess it was. I didn't find out until later, but it didn't- Nothing made me like this," Six admitted sheepishly, though a tiny smile was forming. Something certainly did feel good about Nine being so wowed by something that came to him naturally. "It's just a part of me." His expression then turned to dread. "A part of me that the others can never know about."

Nine seemed confused, "Why not?" He asked innocently enough, but Six's answer was abrupt. He stopped in front of the zippered male, grabbing him tightly by the shoulders. His mismatched optics were wild with dread.

"Nine, the others _can't_ find out. They'll think I'm a freak! They'll send me out on my own! They'll think I'm dangerous and-!" Six's tangent was cut off by Nine laying his hands-on Six's shoulders.

"Okay, okay. I won't tell… Just as long as you're open and honest with me, alright?" Nine insisted as he squeezed at the striped canvas. Six let his own hands drop limply and then clutched his key. "I don't want you to think you have to hide from me, Six. I would never turn against you. Especially over something that just saved me." This seemed to reassure Six a little more and he looked towards the ground.

"I will. I'm not hiding anything anymore… But I can't tell the others," Six was determined about this and Nine reluctantly agreed, even though he wanted to tell the others. There was a bubbling excitement and an eagerness in seeing something so incredible. Nine would keep it to himself, but he didn't actually want to.

The zippered male's optics landed on a cluster of nearby shops, "Maybe we should check in there for paint." Six nodded in agreement and they headed over in the new direction. This didn't stop Nine from asking questions, however. "So how much can you lift? It looked like it hurt afterwards; does it always hurt? Do you ever use it for other things?" Nine couldn't help but get overexcited at the new finding.

Six was much more comfortable with Nine after the previous assurance that Nine wouldn't tell anyone. So he answered the questions without a hitch, with a small smile returning. "I don't know about lifting, but the brick was heavy for me. It only hurts when I do it for too long or do too much. Little things, like inkwells or paper, I can barely feel… I use it sometimes when I'm sure nobody will see, but that's not a lot." Considering that Six's room was connected to the throne room, Nine wasn't entirely surprised at this reveal.

They continued to talk as they searched the shops. By time they did find one with art supplies inside, Nine wasn't sure whether he knew a lot or very little. Everything Six said was an answer, but each of Six's answers were somewhat unsure. Six had admitted, after all, that his secretive nature had left him with using the telekinesis infrequently. It was very likely that he didn't know his limits because he didn't get a chance to test them. The conversation took a brief pause as they found the art supplies.

Six's face filled with wonder and joy as he began to scurry around the shop like one of the overexcited twins. He scanned over the paint, looked at the small selection of inks, and tried to figure out how much of both he could carry. Nine found himself distracted with something else as he noticed something that looked like a stand in the corner. It had a half-finished painting on it, which would perhaps never be finished unless someone like Six stepped in, and seemed to be made to hold the painting as it was painted.

"Hey Six, what is this?" Nine asked curiously as he pointed to it. Six didn't seem to know the technical names for a lot of parts sprawled around the Workshop or contraptions that were made by the inventor, but he instantly could recognize and name the object holding the painting.

"That's an easel," Six explained as he hurried over, a paint tube held under each arm. "They're used to hold paintings while you work. Painters use them all the time… But I don't think we're big enough to carry it home." He gave a playful smile and Nine chuckled.

"I suppose not," Nine agreed. Yet he still paid close attention to the easel regardless. Something like that looked like it would be easy to build and if Six was going to start painting then he was going to need us. "What do you need me to carry?" He noticed that Six was already holding a lot of weight, especially now that he hooked the crystal on his key ring.

"Umm… I have red and blue, so if you can carry yellow and white then I'll have enough to start with," Six chirped happily. He decided against bringing the ink. While it would be easier to use with his fingers, he knew that he could always return later. He couldn't pass the opportunity to use real paint like a real artist would.

"Why would you need white?" Nine asked in amusement, as though he was going to chuckle again. Though he still wandered over to the paints to find the appropriate tubes.

"Color mixing. If I want to get the lighter colors then I need the white," Six explained. Right afterwards he got a more sheepish smile, "And- uh- if I make a mistake I can cover it… This is my first time using paint!" He defended himself with the last part as the zippered male finally did laugh. "I'm just going to leave you here," Six mock threatened as he headed towards the door again.

Nine hurried after him, "No, wait! Don't leave me! I'm coming!" He was still properly amused as he arrived beside the shorter male. They started the long trip back to the Cathedral. On the way, Six began to talk about things he wanted to paint. It was a nice relief to hear Six talk so long and so intricately. It was as though there were no restraints and, because of such, Six was so much more relaxed. Once they arrived at the Cathedral, Six grew a bit quieter and, perhaps, a tad more nervous. Probably about the telekinesis and Nine's promise to not tell.

"You've still got dirt on your legs from the flowerpot," Nine pointed out. "Why don't we take this stuff back to your room and then you can wash off?" To his surprise, Six suddenly got a horrified look on his face.

"Oh, umm, no, Nine, I don't need a bath," he tried to excuse. Nine was having none of it.

"I'll make the bath for you. Two already showed me how a couple of days ago," Nine insisted with an affectionate smile. "We don't want more stuff staining your fabric." The uncomfortableness stretching across Six's face caught Nine off guard, but he insisted further. "Please?"

"…Okay," Six finally caved. Nine was happy to hear this, having no idea what he had just managed to accomplish. Though Six didn't look as giddy to enter the Cathedral again. He sulked into the throne room and into his cubby while Nine set the tubes of paint beside it. He then approached Two, Seven, and Three who were talking by the window.

"Six didn't look very happy. Did something happen on your scouting trip?" Two asked in concern. Three also tilted her head to show that she too was curious.

Nine rubbed the back of his neck, "Actually, it was a pretty good trip. We found plenty of paint; so much that we couldn't bring it all back. Six is, uh… Six is just a little upset because I asked him to take a bath. He's got dirt all over his legs." He was about to continue by asking about the mansion, but instead was rewarded by all three of the Stitchpunks looking surprised. "...What?"

"Six said yes?" Seven asked with a quipped brow.

"Yeah. I'm going to go draw it for him while he puts his things away," Nine explained as he gestured back to the gallery. He could see Six come out to get the other paints. He had regained his smile by now and eagerly toted them into his room. This was a relief, to see that Six was starting to already return to his previous happiness.

"It's a miracle," Seven announced. She then looked to Two questioningly, "Unless this has been going on since I left."

Two looked just as surprised as she did, but also looked delighted. "Well that's great! Nine, you might not realize it, but you accomplished an amazing feat. Six has always been extremely difficult to get to bathe. Or to leave his drawings in general." Three nodded in agreement. She too could remember how little Six did outside of drawing. Somehow, Nine's influence was seemingly breaking both habits. "You've been such a good influence on him. Six doesn't get as much encouragement as we would hope."

Nine felt a light heat under his zipper; a tightening pulse. If Two wasn't exaggerating, which he probably wasn't since both Three and Seven agreed with him, then that meant Nine was getting through to Six. By now it almost seemed like Nine was closer to him that anyone else, and that made him feel surprisingly great. Especially since he now knew Six's other secret and knew that nobody else did. He found himself standing there for a few moments with a goofy smile, the others just watching him silently, and he cleared his voice box.

"I should be starting that bath then, before Six changes his mind," Nine offered in hopes of quickly getting out of the situation. As it was, the three were staring at him a little weirdly. Two's smile seemed too suspect, as though he was thinking of something. Seven had sort of an amused look. Finally, Three was watching him with wide optics, as though she was studying him. It was a lot of eyes that were suddenly on him and each of them looked like they were thinking something different about what he had been saying.

"Good luck," Seven playfully remarked. She then looked to Two, "You can tell him yourself, Two. You've got the best chance… But I doubt he's going to give in." For a moment Nine thought she meant him, but once at the end he realized that it was clearly One who they were speaking of.

"About what?" Nine inquired. "What are you asking One about?"

"Seven and the twins would like to return to the Library, so I was thinking that us going with them would be good. We could look through their collection, read some, generally have something to do that stay stuffed up in the Sanctuary," Two explained to the zippered male. "…Which would mean that One would need convincing." He sighed and looked to Seven, "I'll take care of it. If I can't then I can always barter. Just let me pull him aside to do it." Two wasn't confident in what he was going to attempt, but he knew he had the best bet.

With this agreement in mind, the Stitchpunks went their separate ways. Nine went to draw the bath, Seven headed off to her room with Three eagerly following, and Two went to find One, who he knew was in Eight's room. As he approached, he noticed Four standing outside the door and peering in. "Four, what are you doing out here?" Four looked surprised and flustered by Two. A soft green blush caressed her face and she fiddled her hands together. Two chuckled with good nature, "If you're wanting to speak to Eight, I'll be pulling One aside."

Four looked down shyly, fidgeting with her hands uncomfortably, and Two reached out to pat her shoulder. "Don't be afraid of approaching Eight, Four. He could use more interaction with Stitchpunks other than One." He finished with another chuckle, which cut off rather quickly as he noticed that One was standing in the doorway looking less than thrilled. His smile dropped and the two stared at each other for a few minutes.

Then One simply announced, "I'm only letting this go because you're trying to encourage that twin." Indeed, if One heard him saying it to anyone else his reaction would've been much more steep. Yet he acknowledged the nervous twin and had an idea of what Two was trying to do.

Two coughed into his fist, "One, yes, I… I was hoping we could speak in private." He straightened a bit to sound confident. He laid a hand on Four's back, "And Four here was worried about Eight." Four looked to him in alarm, then looked to One in complete embarrassment.

One gave a nod, "Very well, but I wouldn't worry about Eight. He's nearly fully recovered." He moved out of the doorway and started along with Two, who gave a final pat to Four's back and wandered off with the other male. This left the young female alone in the hall. After taking a moment to regain her courage, she stepped into the bedroom where Eight was sharpening his knife. He looked upwards to see her and sent a smile. She felt herself shiver inwardly.

"Hey. Thought you were One," Eight pointed out as he paused his movement. She took a few shy steps closer, trying to keep her optics from flickering. "What d'you need?" Eight asked, starting to set his knife and sharpening stone aside. As though he expected her to need him for something. Four shuffled in place for a few moments before anxiousness set in. He would surely think she was weird if she didn't say or do something. He was looking confused and she was starting to become more desperate. Her optics searched for some sort of an out.

Then it came to her when they landed on a dagger that Eight had hung on the wall. Immediately she pointed to it and Eight's optics followed. "…What?" Four pointed more insistently. "The dagger? You want something with the dagger?" She nodded and he was left to guess. "Uh… You want me to make you one?" She was about to turn him down, to keep going, but realized that him making her a dagger would only help what she wanted to do. She nodded happily and then made a slashing motion with her hand.

Eight watched for a few minutes, trying to guess what she wanted, and finally came up with a competent solution. "You want me to train you?" Four eagerly agreed. After all, this was the best possible option for this train of thought. Eight would make her a weapon, teach her how to use the weapon, and they would get the perfect reason to both spend time together and to prove she was more mature. Eight defended their kind and was a professional with weapons; he could easily see her as a child considering that she was unable to fight.

"You sure about that? It's not gonna be easy," Eight pointed out. Four looked absolutely determined as she nodded. Whatever the risk of the cost, she wanted this. She saw this as the best answer to her problems. "Then I'm not turning you down. I think it's great that you're going to learn to defend yourself," Eight encouraged, seemingly honest in his willingness. "I'll need to make the dagger first, should take me the rest of tonight. Tomorrow we'll start training… You sure you're up to this? I'm not going easy on you."

If anything, this made Four only more certain that it was what she wanted. She wanted to be seen as an equal because only then would Eight see her as anything more than a child. "Then I'll get started," Eight stood and headed over into his spare parts. In the corner of his room, beyond his rack of weapons, he had a workbench covered in parts to make more weapons with. He seemed to be moving without pain as he headed over. One of the Christmas bulbs spread throughout the Cathedral poked through a hole in the wall, which he screwed in all the way to turn the light on.

"Lemme see your hands," Eight volunteered as he looked to the twin expectantly. The Librarian stuck out her hands for him to take and study. He didn't notice her blush as he checked the shape and size of her hands. "Hmm… You're going to want something small and light, but something that's gonna pack a punch… I can do that." He sent he a smile and then moved to his workbench to begin work. "This'll be a while, but if you want to stay and watch I'll show you how I work my magic."

Four perked in delight and hurried to his side. Her optics were wide and focused, her smile eager and full of joy, and for a moment, for this moment, she felt closer to Eight more than ever. She loved that feeling.

While Four and Eight began their work on the dagger, Two guided One out into the throne room. "One, the twins will need to return to their Library," Two began. When he saw One's face begin to tighten he broke in, "Now before you even decide, I want you to consider this; the twins have been living in the Library for quite some time. All their belongings are still there. I also want you to consider that the twins will be more likely to return if they don't think they are being trapped." He pointed out and continued before One could get in a word edgewise.

"And I think it would be an excellent opportunity for us to head to the Library for ourselves. As it is, it is the only secure building other than the Cathedral. It is the closest thing we have to a second Sanctuary. All those books, all that knowledge- In a single night we could collect more information than we can here. A brief journey to the Library would be more than rewarding. Again, I believe it would also be best for encouraging the twins and Seven to return… And to be honest, One, I would very much enjoy getting to stretch my legs."

One could see straight through Two's excuses and reasons. Beyond the twins and Seven was his own desire to search through the Library. That unwavering need to learn and study, to endanger himself and others for little reason, and it drove One mad just to think about it. Here Two was trying to do this right after they had just gotten over their fight. Did Two think that he could manipulate One? The leader could only suspect so.

"You know me, One. I do get tapped out every once in a while. I need inspiration or I won't be able to be at my best," Two tried to convince. This time his voice was quieter, as though he was somewhat embarrassed to admit such a thing even though it wasn't exactly unknown to the others. One couldn't even withhold his completely unimpressed look of response. The inventor stared back, optics full and hopeful, thinking that he might have convinced One. Which he certainly wouldn't have, if it had not have been for…

How full of hope he looked. It was all over his face. It radiated like warm from a fire, leaving Two himself as the fireplace trying to contain it. Something suddenly sunk into One's neck region and tightened to the point where he could barely breathe. He could just stare at the gentle look across Two's face. It tightened further and he couldn't get out a proper answer. He couldn't even comprehend what this was.

"One?" Two curiously asked. "Are you alright? You look… A bit odd." Indeed, the taller Stitchpunk's optics had slightly widened out of their usual narrowed look. This snapped One into immediately recovering and he gave his answer.

"I'm fine, I was taking a moment to… Consider the answer," One excused the moment off and decided to make his decision. "I…" Two was still looking uncertain as he looked to One for an answer. Those optics were unintentionally piercing. One had to get away from him before he lost his head. "Fine, then. At dawn tomorrow we will cross to the Library, stay for exactly three hours, and return here. But when I say three hours I mean _only_ three hours. Once those are done then all of us will be returning here. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very," Two smiled wide with delight. One's chest tightened dramatically, but he couldn't tell if it was out of regretting his decision or something much worse. "I'll inform the others. You will not regret this, One. Thank you." While he said this, Two lingered for a few more moments. His optics seemed to linger on One's, though One realized that it was possible he was imagining it. It wasn't until the shorter male wandered off to spread the news that One felt the full impact of the event.

" _What in Creator's name was that?! Did I completely lose my mind?!"_ He collapsed on the throne in a heap. He held his staff tightly while his free hand rested on his forehead. _"Agreeing to leave the safety of my Sanctuary for what? Books?! Two played me as his pawn while I gave no resistance!... Something must be wrong with me."_ While One continued to scold himself, completely unsure of what had happened, he partially noticed Nine enter the throne room.

"Okay, Six, your bath is ran," Nine said as he leaned into the artist's bedroom. The artist was currently kneeling on the floor, trying to open one of the tubes of paint. He gave a completely flat look to the zippered male. "Come on. You said you were going to do it," Nine pointed out. "The quicker you get in, the quicker you can get out. I'll even help you open those when you're done." He noticed the crystal on Six's bed, "Or hang that up somewhere."

The striped male sighed and sluggishly stood from his spot. "Okay…" He shuffled over to Nine and the zippered male laid a hand on his back as he guided him to the bath. The bath itself was merely a bowl that could be filled with collected rainwater. The process to warm the water involved using one of the heaters to warm the container of collected water. It took longer than expected to make a comfortably warm bath, but Nine had managed to do it with patience and persistence.

"I've got to see Five about something, so I'm just going to let you handle it from here," Nine explained as he stopped at the door. "I'll see you when you get out." With a final smile, and one last fully unhappy look from Six, Nine headed down the hall. Six knew that he could've left now; in the past he hadn't been above sneaking away from a bath. If it wasn't for how nice the bath looked then he would've. With a sigh, Six caved into Nine's insistence and approached the bath, sliding inside.

" _I guess it's not that bad…"_ Six considered with a small tremble, taking in the warm water around his form. Though part of him was disappointed in it. He had thought that Nine was going to stay. Six usually was fine with being on his own, but after everything today it felt lonely to not have Nine with him. He rushed to wash himself, _"Quicker in, quicker out, right?"_

* * *

 **Mable: Now you may notice a direct lack of Cat in this chapter. He will be back in the next chapter with a more intense focus, but for now he's literally just lounging around in the background. XD And nobody wants to write about a cat of any kind lazing around. Though… Because there was a direct lack of Cat, maybe a fun note about him will replace his lack of a role in this chapter.**

 **So, I've been considering Cat's voice as of late. I think I've finally come to a concrete voice to compare it to well enough. So, if I had to choose anyone that would have the closest voice to how I imagine Cat's, it would probably be Ron Perlman. Though perhaps a bit younger of a tone to it. Anyway, that's enough voice talk for the evening; I need to get this chapter posted.**

 **I hope that everyone enjoyed! The next chapter will be posted next Sunday!**


	13. Chapter 13: A Truth Revealed

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter, my friends and readers! Today we dip back into the effects of the shift, if you know what I mean… Probably not because I'm being super ambiguous, but you'll get it by the end of the chapter. XD Anyway, I don't own 9. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Thirteen: A Truth Revealed_

Cat's optics flickered over to the workbench as Nine succeeded in knocking over the can of tools yet again. Between Five and Nine, both had knocked over the can at least a few times each. He barely acknowledged their scrambling to pick up the tools and glanced to the curtain hanging in the door. Since the night before Nine and Five had been down here on and off working. Cat wasn't really interested in what they were doing, but stayed in the workshop to wait for Two. He knew that they would soon be leaving and wanted to keep close to the short male.

Thankfully, Two soon arrived in the workshop with an eager smile. "The others are ready to go, you three. Come along," he beckoned with an eager smile. He was nearly bubbly with excitement for what was coming very soon. "Do you realize that this will be the first time we've all went out together in _years,_ Five? It's unbelievable!"

Five grabbed his quiver and harpoon to swing onto his back. "It is!" he agreed with a smile. He was a little worried, but not as much as he would've been before they went to the factory to save Two. "How were you able to convince One to let us go? I-… I can't believe he said yes." Two's response was mostly dismissal. After all, he didn't know how One allowed himself to be convinced so easily. One had looked strangely, but gave no indication to what he was thinking when he agreed.

Cat dragged himself off the medical cot and followed along. He suspected that, like most of the activities that the Stitchpunks engaged in, he would mostly be an extra doll, just there to observe. He exited the workshop and followed them to the front door of the Cathedral. The other Stitchpunks were already grouped together and looked ready to leave.

"Ah, there you three are," One remarked. As though he had been waiting for ages when he had only been standing there for a few moments. "Now we're all in agreement of the timing?"

Seven was absolutely not in agreement with a three-hour time limit. Especially since they would still have hours of daylight past then and the Library wasn't far off. However, Two volunteered in with, "Yes, yes. Let's get going then. I won't have you stalling out time!" The accusation was a teasing one as he passed by, Cat following on his heels. One nodded in agreement and continued as well. The other Stitchpunks all followed.

It didn't take too long to arrive at the Library. Most of the Stitchpunks were interested in the new environment. The twins especially were eager to show their home to the others. They beckoned the others to follow towards their study further in the back. It wasn't as though they all wanted to split up immediately, so they followed the librarians. Seven couldn't help but smile warmly as the two scurried around. They were more than eager to lead the way into the study. The study itself was set with the twins' cataloging book and many cubbies.

Nine couldn't help but be in awe of the scene. He took a few steps forwards and shined his Lightstaff over the collection of items. Three and Four didn't take long to notice Nine's interest and scurried past him and to their large book. They climbed beside it, pointed to it, and then started to turn the pages. Nine smiled at the gesture before trying to take in the newspaper clippings on the pages.

While Two, Five, and Six were off to the side looking at a jar, Cat decided to approach the only Stitchpunk standing alone. This was, of course, Seven, who was watching the twins at work. She heard his footsteps as he wandered to stand beside her. She acknowledged him with a glance and a nod, which signaled that he was fine to stand there beside her. He did so and they watched the twins.

The zippered male was about to signal the twins to slow down when something caught his optic. It was a word that stood out and he found his voice, "Wait." Three and Four looked back and tilted their heads in sync. "Go back a few pages. I saw something," Nine inquired with a more intense focus. They looked to each other and then did as said. As soon as they were on the correct page, Nine spoke once more, "There it is!" The page was presented to him, but it was one section pasted to the book that had caught his attention.

The newspaper article portrayed the picture of a large, metal being with a massive optic and many arms. The picture wasn't in color, but Nine could only imagine the optic as a striking red color. Above it was titled 'The Machine' in bold letters. "The Machine…" Nine quietly murmured as he studied it. It was definitely some sort of Beast, but was one much bigger.

Seven was surprised by the purring noise of shuddering metal beside her. She looked to Cat in stark confusion and was surprised to see his face through his helmet. His optics were alit with admiration, and briefly with red as well, and his mouth was pulled into a tight smile. His look of adoration took her aback and she could only watch stiffly as he took a few steps towards Nine. The zippered male looked back to see him right beside him, then had the wind knocked out of him as Cat's hand heavily landed on his back.

"That…" Cat began, testing his words. "Is my cre-a-tor." The purr was heavy in his voice as he sounded out the word.

Nine looked to the picture thoughtfully, "Creator…?" Suddenly it all clicked. The factory, the things creating the machines, the humans working with the machines; it all made sense. This thing on the newspaper was the Machine that created the others. He looked back towards the others, specifically Two. "This is the machine that created the Beasts?" Two hesitated before slowly nodding.

The twins eagerly tugged at the cord leading from the page to a nearby cubby. A tag came out, marking it, and they were about to lead the others to their list when a voice broke in.

"Now that won't be necessary," One blurted out. Nine was surprised to hear that he sounded flustered. "There's no point in bringing up the past. The Machine has been sleeping for many years."

"Wait, you all know about this?" Nine asked in alarm and looked around. A few of them, specifically Two and One, had familiarity in their optics. Five, Eight, and Seven had something less, as though they knew something or suspected something, but knew little details. Shockingly enough, Six's optics had an odd look in them. They were wide as though shocked, as though somewhat alarmed, but the familiarity in them was clearly present. Maybe it was from a dream or vision.

Then there was Cat. Cat clearly knew this being. Nine looked back to him, prepared to ask him more. However, One intervened again.

"That is the Fabrication Machine. There is nothing more to say; it was the leader of the beasts and now it sleeps. That is it," One stated more firmly.

"But that's not it!" Nine protested to him and looked to Cat. "Where did it come from? Why is it asleep?" Cat responded by tapping his chest above his voice box. As though he was signaling that he couldn't physically say as much as Nine wanted. "Whatever you can. I need to know more." Nine didn't notice the panic that passed Six's face.

The twins stepped in and beckoned the zippered male, Three grabbing his hand and Four pointing the way, leading him to the lift. Cat followed along with them. Seven and Five also followed along. Two and One stayed behind and began to whisper in hushed tones. It sort of sounded like they were bickering, or like they were panicked. Eight stood behind them and watched the two, listening to whatever they were saying. Finally, Six stood by the book as he watched the lift raise. He clutched his key tightly and feared the worst.

The cubby that the twins led them too was filled with items from the war. Medals, newspapers, and other things were tucked into the small space. They immediately lifted a newspaper so that the four could see. The headline spoke of a new invention, of progress, and a smaller one proclaimed, 'Lead Scientist creates "Brain".' The Scientist on the newspaper was one who Nine already had been introduced to by the others.

"It's the Scientist who created us… He created the machine? The Brain?" Nine was completely uncertain whether the machine was titled the 'Fabrication Machine' or the 'Brain'. Though this was the least of his problems. He knew from this article why One and Two were hiding it. From the look of shock on Five's face he seemed to not know. Seven's face was more firm and completely unreadable. Cat merely seemed interested in the machine. He didn't acknowledge the Scientist or the Chancellor standing beside him.

The twins weren't done either. They dropped the newspaper in sync and Four began to emanate lights from her optics onto the wall. There appeared some sort of motion picture on a nearby backdrop. The Chancellor was shown and, soon afterwards, the Machine was shown in moving form. It was much more massive than either of the pictures had portrayed and there were many more arms. Cat's optics began to glow in an eager red as he continued to purr in contentment. This was the first time in many years he had seen his creator in motion.

Cat's behavior alarmed Seven and she kept a closer watch on him. However, he did not become aggressive, he just watched. Nine's reaction was the stark opposite. He watched in horror as the machine was shown efficiently building an enormous beast. He had seen these 'walkers' in the Emptiness; all of them were inactive. The many in the factory had also been inactive, but at the time Nine had been mostly distracted. Now he watched the effects of the war, and then the machines turning against the humans. He glanced over at Cat; Cat didn't react to anything other than the machine.

The motion picture stopped. Four somewhat went limp into her twins' hands as the flickering ended. Nine and Cat's reactions continued to be sharp contrasts to each other. Nine slowly let his head drop, "So that's what happened to the world… That's the Fabrication Machine." The words sort of slipped out of his mouth. He wasn't even really thinking or saying them. He looked back at Five and Seven who looked back at him with dread and somberness respectively.

"He's something, right?" Cat's crackled voice suddenly broke out. Nine looked to him in surprise, not expecting him to speak. Cat still stared at the spot where the motion picture had once been. "He… _Was_ something amazing." He was still struggling to speak, but the words were much more clear.

"What?" Nine asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

"He made my body," Cat turned to him. "Made my mind…" He went to rest a claw on his chest, but stopped. For a few seconds, he just stared down at himself as thought he had suddenly gotten off track. Then he gave a little bit of a more playful smile. Or, more so, that less threatening smile he had when he was being playful. "Not this body," as though he was adding it in with an 'of course'. His clear admiration for the Machine was evident and Nine couldn't help but stare.

"It's, uh, yeah… I mean, he was your creator… Sometimes you don't- You don't think about what your creator does," Five admitted as though sympathizing with Cat. Though this revealed a bit more about what Five thought about the Scientist than what he thought of the machine. Clearly Five wasn't exactly thrilled about what had been revealed.

Seven was still watching Cat, Nine noticed this. However, he decided to continue questioning him. "Why is it asleep?" Cat gave a sort of shrug in response. "I need you to tell me… Actually, wait," Nine cut off and looked around. It didn't take him long to find a fountain pen nearby. He hurried over and grabbed it before returning to Cat's side. "I need you to write down everything you know." He offered the pen and Cat raised his claws in defense. Suddenly he was refusing to touch it. Surprisingly enough, Cat looked uncomfortable.

"Please, just… Whatever you can. I need to know about this. About what it- He did, and you know more than anyone else… I know you do." That last statement was like an accusation. Cat had been a Beast, he still was mostly a Beast, and he had seen the Fabrication Machine firsthand. If anyone could tell him anything, it would be him. Cat slowly exhaled and took the pen, making a disgruntled noise under his breath. Three and Four hurried into the back to grab some paper for him, which he began to write on.

"Are you quite done?" One called upwards into the cubby space. He had to of heard the video playing, so Nine assumed he was calling specifically to speed them up.

Nine gave an exasperated sigh and leaned out of the cubby, "Not yet. Cat's writing something down. We'll be down in a minute." He didn't mean to sound as snappy as it came out. It certainly didn't help matters as he could see One now outright glaring at him. Eight looked unaffected, Two looked worried, and Six still had this look of dread. Nine could only imagine what was going on in his head. He gave a slight wave down at him; Six timidly waved his fingers back.

"…What?" Seven's voice was filled with surprise as she looked at what Cat was writing. Nine took interest and hurried over as Cat seemed to quickly wander away. The zippered male crouched down to read what Cat note and immediately saw what Seven had seen.

"This…" Nine began, looking closer to the words. "Can you read this?" The penmanship was fine, which should have been a good thing considering that Cat's penmanship was originally the biggest concern. However, something was clearly wrong with the passage. Letters overlapped each other, some were backwards, some were just the wrong letter period, and it was certainly difficult to read. Not impossible, but difficult.

"What is this?" Seven clarified again and Five now looked down at it, furrowing his brow in confusion. Nine meanwhile suddenly remembered how Cat reacted to seeing the rules One had laid out before. He looked like he had been having trouble reading and now, after writing this, Cat was pointedly on the lift with the twins, looking in the opposite direction.

"I think Two needs to see this," Five pointed out as he rolled the paper into a scroll to carry to his mentor. "That doesn't look right. We might need to look at his optics." Nine and Seven were both starting to suspect that either Cat couldn't write or he was purposely doing it to be vague until Five said this. They didn't even have time to try and read it before Five approached the lift as well. The two started over as well.

"…Have you seen it?" Nine asked quietly, wondering if the female had.

"...I've seen the articles before, but never in person," Seven admitted. "I've seen most of the twins' collection. So of course, I came upon it once or twice."

The zippered male stopped, clearly confused by this comment. "But… How long has the Fabrication Machine been asleep?" he inquired, confused and disturbed.

Seven answered in an equally cryptic answer, "I don't know, but that's because it has never left that factory. It's probably still there." She then stepped onto the lift with the others. Nine followed suite; he was lost in thought by time they were back on the ground floor.

Six hurried over to him, dread in his mismatched optics. "What… What did you see?" he asked quietly. As though he was less afraid of what there was to see and more afraid of Nine witnessing it. The zippered male laid an affectionate hand on his shoulder.

"A lot of things…A lot of things," Nine trailed off and looked towards the floor. Six stared into his optics with obvious panic. He could only hope that Nine wouldn't keep looking. If he did… Then they were all at risk.

When Five showed Two Cat's writings, the inventor was immediately taken aback. He could read through the mistakes if he focused, squinting through the lens on his hat, but there was clearly something wrong with Cat's writing ability. "It could be a visual disruption," Two pointed out as he studied the way the male had written. "I'll need to ask him. Where is he?" Five pointed him out; Cat was standing out of the way with Seven nearby. She looked like she wanted to approach and ask him something, but was held back for whatever reason.

Two was about to head over when Nine approached. This time Six was following alongside him, and when they stopped he grasped Nine's wrist affectionately. "What does it say?" Nine inquired, clearly concerned about what had been written.

Two looked back to the paper and quickly decoded it, "It says a few things of interest… Ah, like this! 'Creator Fabrication fell into a deep sleep which he could not be'… Hmm… Can't read that last word." The inventor studied it closer.

Naturally, One decided that now was the perfect time to remind the others of what he said. "I already told you that the machine was still," he pointed out, "so you already knew that."

"Here, 'Us that requited maintenance seen fall'… I'm assuming he meant, 'Us that required maintenance soon fell'," Two pointed out and then looked to One. "Therefore, there has been less beasts, and therefore the ones we have seen are so much more advanced. The Machine's… I'll say 'disappearance' for lack of a better term. The Machine's disappearance is why most of the beasts fell. They required it to keep them alive and with it gone they could not survive." This made enough sense.

"He also says that he was created for scouting and…" Two trailed off. He reread the last few words a couple of times over. He could clearly see that the words were 'creation talisman'. This was clearly the talisman and, seeing it, dread filled him. "…Nine, where did you put the talisman?" One, Nine, and Six's reaction were all immediate; they all looked horrified by bringing the talisman to attention.

"It's… In my room. I have it put away," Nine explained.

"What does that say?" One demanded, fully alarmed.

"Now everybody calm down," Two insisted amongst them. "Cat mentioned that he was created to retrieve the talisman. While I don't believe Cat will willingly harm us… I do fear that being around the Talisman will trigger his instinct, his programming, to take hold. This shouldn't be a problem if you could just keep it out of sight." The older Stitchpunk could only hope that he was right about this. He sighed and looked to the paper, "I will need to… Do a further examination on Cat's optics. If you two excuse me. Five, let's go."

In a way, Two tried to get away from the questions as fast as possible. He didn't want any more of a ruckus for the day, especially with how limited their time was. He passed Seven with a small smile and approached the former Beast with a comforting smile.

"Cat, I was just reading what you wrote," Two began. Cat immediately looked uncomfortable, with his optics shifting off to somewhere else. "It's very insightful. However, I… I am a little concerned about your vision. As someone who's also dealt with such, I can understand how uncomfortable it is," Two added in with a light chuckle, tapping on his lens. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to look further-." Two trailed off as Cat turned and started to wander off. The Inventor was too determined to let him go. "Now don't be like that!"

"If anyone can help, Cat, it'll be Two," Five encouraged as he quickly circled the male. Cat promptly stared him down as though he expected the one-eyed male to move. Though Five was too lost in his own healer mentality to do so. Finally, Cat slouched a little and turned to Two.

"Excellent!" Two smiled at his compliance. "First, let's see how your optics respond to the light…" Thus, began a long battery of tests in which Two checked and studied how Cat's optics responded. Unfortunately for the inventor, any answers he had were soon discredited. Cat's optics reacted fine and he could see things perfectly well, excluding words he was supposed to read. By this point, Two was completely confused.

"It could be eye strain," Five suggested to the Inventor. "That's pretty hard to see." Two shook his head, lost in thought. "Uh… An optic defect? That's really possible." Two shook his head again. "…I'm out of ideas."

"Well we _are_ in a library," Two pointed out with a budding smile. "Now is the best opportunity to look and see if we can find anything similar. There must be some sort of hint." Five nodded, smiled, and stood with his mentor. Two looked over towards Cat, "Cat, we'll be doing some research. You can rest or do what you like until we get back." Then they head off.

Cat continued doing what he was previously doing; laying limp across a book, staring at the ceiling. As though it would make him feel better after the embarrassment of having them see that. He knew something was wrong with him, but he never thought that this, that reading, would become an issue the others would learn about. It made him even more uncomfortable than he imagined it would.

"Cat…?"

Cat turned his head, seeing that none other than Six was standing there. The former beast tilted his head curiously.

"Just… I know… I can't…" Six sputtered out with terror in his voice. "Please don't wake him up." Cat instantly knew what he meant. His brows furrowed and he slowly sat upwards. "I…I know you are in debt to him. You love him… But he'll hurt us if he wakes up," Six explained, hoping that Cat could understand. "I know you can't control it, but maybe… Just think about it." The artist faded off and turned to wander away. His gait was quick as he hurried over to stand by Nine; clinging to his arm in an indigent.

'You can't control it' sat a little heavier than Cat expected. As though it was a challenge presented to him. 'You can't control it' was the standard of most beasts, and should've been his own. Yet he suddenly had the urge to prove Six wrong. Regardless of how he felt for his Creator, he was above being a drone. He could control it. He would control it.

* * *

 **Mable: But can Cat control it? Maybe he's tasted too much freedom, not remembering what it was like to have a claw looming over him… Or maybe this new body has a few tricks in its stitches. The next chapter shall be posted next week, on schedule! ^-^ I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14: Of Books and Blushes

**Mable: Sorry about the day late on posting! I have an important note at the end of the chapter for you to read, but for now I'll continue with the story. I don't own 9, enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Fourteen: Of Books and Blushes_

"This… This sounds like it," Five drew his eye away from the medical book that Two and he had been studying through. They had searched through a book already, but this was the first time that they found a possible solution for what was wrong with Cat. Two, however, was unsure about the diagnoses. "It's possible."

"It is, but how?" Two inquired back with hum. "It seems unlikely… Though I suppose there could've been damage while moving the core…" He turned back to look at the twins who were dotingly standing nearby. They had been the ones who helped them find the medical books. Which was unsurprising; the twins knew more about the Library than any other. Even Seven, who lived there with them, knew only a shred about the books laying around the floor of the building. There were simply too many for a normal Stitchpunk to remember, but the twins weren't exactly normal.

"Thank you for your help, you two. If you would've have helped us, we'd still be sorting through an ocean of books!" Two smiled to them thankfully. His smile was slightly unsure; it showed his disturbance in the diagnoses that they had discovered. The twins smiled and gave eager nods. The seemed to realize that they were being dismissed as they darted off into the Library.

They didn't get very far. Three was guiding Four behind her towards the study, when Four suddenly stopped her. She grabbed her arm, halting her, and pointed over to the hulking Stitchpunk wandering to the front entrance of the Library. It was Eight, naturally, and Four suggested that he was keeping guard. A look of disagreement passed her face. She whispered to her sibling, voicing her concern about Eight keeping guard so soon after his injury. The Scholar was clearly disturbed.

Her twin suggested that they go over and see what Eight was doing. Four was reluctant, shyness starting to creep in on her, but Three persisted. She led her twin over towards the guard, making it to him before he could make it outside.

"Hey," Eight greeted quickly, hesitating only for a moment. "Heading out to stand guard." He then passed by and continued towards the front entrance.

Four rushed forwards and blocked his way, suddenly becoming bolder. Eight raised a brow at her while she sheepishly rubbed her arm. Three hurried to stand beside her twin, hoping to give her some form of moral support in her presence.

"What?" Eight asked in confusion. Four pointed to him and then back into the Library. He seemed to understand, "Sorry, but can't. One wants me out front keeping an eye out." Then he continued forwards, but Four was insistent, going to far as to rest her hands on his chest. She then realized what she had done and retracted her hands, with her cheeks bright in a blush. Eight seemed to notice and seemed a little surprised that she had touched him.

"…You can come out if you want," Eight suggested, hoping that it would make her feel less uncomfortable. Then his face alit with a new idea, "Hey, yeah. We could start your first sparring lesson. We don't have your knife here, but we can work on your stance." Four looked shocked and gawked at him. "It'll be better than me standing out there doing nothing."

Four still looked uncertain, but Three nudged her with insistence. This somehow nudged Four the little bit she needed and she gave a nod. A smile naturally burst onto her face as he got one.

"Come on. Let's go get started," Eight instructed. He boldly scooped an arm around her shoulders. While his motion was brotherly, she immediately saw it as something much more affectionate, and sent a few flickers of 'giggles' over towards her sibling. Three waved her off and then scurried away to do something else. It wasn't as though she would have much fun watching them spar.

"So we'll start with stance," Eight began to instruct the moment they were in the courtyard. The sky was thick with clouds, but illuminated the courtyard well enough. Four looked upwards for only a moment before Eight was beside her. "Now I don't have a weapon you can use, so we're gonna start by seeing what you know. Pretend you've got a knife and stand like you're in a fight."

The Scholar wasn't too unfamiliar with playing pretend, so she did so. She tried to mock one of Seven's stances while jutting forwards an invisible knife.

"Pretty good start…" Eight drew out. "…But you're taking too many keys from Seven. See, Seven's a spear fighter, so she's going to stand back a bit. Fighting with a knife is all about speed and defense." He laid a hand on her back and nudged her forwards, "Your knife is short. Your chances to screw up are few. You need to be forward, ready to stab and duck when the time calls for it." Even though his hands on her made her feel tingly, Four found a striking interest in what Eight was saying. She truly did want to learn what he taught.

Though the guard just happened to reach around her in a way that caused her head to cloud. "Now just hold your hands like this… There, you got it. So when a Beast comes in you're just gonna…"

* * *

Three had the upmost confidence that Four and Eight would be fine alone. Of course, it interrupted her plans with her twin, but Three was fine to sacrifice this. Being with Eight made Four happy, so Three was fine with changing her schedule. As she began to sprint through the Library, she was abruptly presented with a new opportunity when a voice called for her.

"Hey there! Do you have a minute?" Nine looked much more calm compared to earlier in the day. He didn't address her by a name, but she assumed that this was because he couldn't tell which twin she was. She hurried over to his side and he smiled, leaning against his Lighstaff. "I need to find a book on… A specific subject. Do you have any books about telekinesis?"

Three's optics flickered in confusion and she attempted to remember where the book was. It wasn't nearly as easy to remember without her twin to help her go through their mental catalogue. She was also distracted by her curiosity about Nine. She thought he would be asking about the Machine, so the sudden question about something supernatural seemed a little surprising. The proper book suddenly came to her in a flicker and audible click, and she sprinted off to find it, leading Nine by the wrist.

It didn't take too long to locate the book. It had been left propped against a back shelf, but Three didn't remember why they had gotten it out in the past. Nine was baffled by the fact that the twin could find the book amongst the many, many others. The Scholar opened the book on the marble floor and flipped to the table of contents, double checked, and then sought out the page. She then beckoned Nine to read with her.

"Thanks for this," Nine gave a smile to her and scanned over the entry. However, what Three didn't know was that this interest in reading was only spawned to suppress his questions about the Machine.

Immediately after the revelation he made, Nine found his head filled with curiosity. He was overeager, his pulse racing, and his body needed to seek out the truth. However, this wasn't exactly possible at the time with Cat going quiet. Six's insistence about the danger in the factory also made Nine reluctant to traverse over there to explore. For now, he couldn't sate his need, so he would replace it.

And replace it he did. The entry spoke about telekinesis, or psychokinesis as it called it, and many other types of abilities. It wasn't long before he had the incredible desire to seek out Six and ask about how much of the book was accurate and how much was fiction.

"You know… I think Six would like to read this," Nine abruptly offered. Three looked to him in confusion and tilted her head. "I'm going to go find him and see if he wants to read with us. Want to come?" The twin nodded eagerly and hopped to her feet, quickly hurrying towards the study. Nine had to run to keep up, but found it relatively easy to do considering what time of the day it was. They stepped into the study to see Two and Five explaining something to Cat. Six stood with them, but didn't exactly seem involved.

"Hey Six, want to join us?" Nine gave an affectionate smile and Six looked back in surprise. The striped male then got an eager smile, seeing Nine's more normal behavior, and scurried after them. All three then headed back towards the book. Five noticed them leave, but was busy with Two in explaining their findings to Cat.

"The closest thing we found is a disorder known as dyslexia," Two explained to the former Beast. Cat furrowed his brows as he stared up from he reclined seat against a tilted book. "Now this cannot be the exact same thing, I don't think, but it sounds very close," Two spoke with sympathy on his voice. "It's… Not necessarily bad news. In fact, this has me more confident that we could, perhaps, train your eyes to see past the anomalies. With practice, you could be able to read and write just like everyone else."

"And we're in a Library," Five volunteered. "I was thinking we could probably start now. We've got a while before One makes us leave." Two nodded in agreement with him. Cat's reaction was sort of quiet. It was mostly a solemn stare towards the floor, but his arms were still crossed casually. He didn't give a verbal opinion on neither the diagnoses nor the suggested treatment.

"I'm going to see if I can find some easier books to start with. I doubt human anatomy would be interesting for him," Two remarked as he pointed out the book that Cat was leaning against. "I'll be right back." He started back out, following in the footsteps of the other three. Now Cat and Five were alone, save Seven who was off in a cubby nearby.

"Okay, so, uh… Why don't you scoot over so I can open the book? We can get a head start," Five tried to convince. He crouched down beside the male and started to lift the cover. Cat didn't move at first, even as Five raised the cover higher. Eventually he tapped the male's shoulder and finally Cat lazily rolled off. The healer opened the book and flipped to a random page, "Okay, so let's start here. Now you might not know about… The human tibia… But being that you were once made of bone, it seems like an interesting place to start. Why don't you read this sentence?"

Cat made absolutely no attempt to read anything. He just sent a questioning look, as though Five couldn't be serious.

"Uh… Okay, I'll read it first, then you can read it," Five offered and started to recite. "The tibia is the stronger of the two shin bones and it…" He trailed off as Cat stood and wanted to a nearby wall beside the entranceway. The healer watched him for a few more seconds before continuing. "It connects the knee to the ankle. Compared to the location of the fibula, it's located-." He cut off again at a scraping noise.

Out of nowhere, or perhaps purposely to show his disinterest, Cat started to sharpen his claws on the wall. Five looked back at him again, staring blankly, and then remarked. "Uh… I guess you can just wait until Two gets back." It was only now that Seven decided to wander into the situation.

"What is it?" Seven asked in confusion, looking towards Five with a tilted head.

The buttoned male gave a patient exhale, "It's nothing. I was hoping Cat would start practicing his reading with me, before Two got back. It's not a big deal."

Yet Seven seemed to think it was a bigger deal than Five did. She got a firm frown and sent a glance over in Cat's direction. After watching him claw at the wall a few more times, she approached him. "Cat, if Two thinks that you practicing will help, then you should try. Five's willing to use the precious time he has out of the Cathedral to help you." Cat's clawing slowed, but didn't fully stop. This meant he was listening but didn't convince Seven that he was giving it consideration. She decided to voice new suspicions.

"The fact that you can read at all is impressive. As far as I expected, Beasts couldn't read, but you obviously can," Seven admitted to him. "If this is a pride thing then it doesn't need to be. I would respect you more for trying that to stubbornly go against Two's suggestion." This was rewarded with a slight shrug. She wasn't even sure what he was trying to say with it, so she assumed that he was still being dismissive. With an exhale of disapproval, she turned and headed over toward Five again.

"What are you reading about, Five?" Seven inquired as she crouched beside him. Her tired tone didn't seem entirely curious, but she seemed a lot more focused on the material than Cat had been.

Five smiled a little, "The human skeleton. I mean, it's not really necessary to learn this, but I find it interesting. It looks so much like ours!" The healer began to gush a little more, his interest showing. "This is just the leg, but it's still… Uh… Seven?" He noticed the warrior put an arm around his shoulders. "What are you-?"

"Play along," she responded in a low voice. Then Seven returned to her normal tone, "But it would make sense that we look so similar. In a way, even though we aren't organic, we are still directly related to the humans." She was smiling and speaking in an upbeat tone. This was clearly not normal behavior, as Five doubted anyone other than himself would get this excited about anatomy.

"Y-Yeah, sure. Our souls are basically the same," Five responded before lowering his voice. "What are we doing?"

"He's very predictable when it comes to attention," Seven murmured. "Trust me, now that we're ignoring _him_ he'll come over." She was sure of this and while he was less so, the logic made sense. Cat hadn't seemed like he was too desperate for attention in the past, but this was a tactic that could logically work. So he went along with it.

Five played his role and raised his voice with faux overexcited tone. "If you think this is amazing, you should see the rest of the skeleton! Like the tailbone, which we'll look at next." He started to flip a few pages. As he did so, Five glanced back in the direction of Cat. Apparently Seven had been right as Cat was now staring in his direction.

Cat had been confused to why Seven and Five suddenly dropped off from their insistence. Five he could understand, but not Seven. Seven was much more headstrong, so it seemed weird for her to stop. This was what drew his attention and now he was watching as the two were going on about a book that he couldn't read correctly. She even had her arm around Five, and he suspected that she did it on purpose. But why? To prove that she supported Five more than him, because he was reluctant to 'practice'.

His optics narrowed and his optics regained their jagged appearance. She was doing this to spite him and, shockingly enough, it was working. Unlike something that he could shrug off, this was somewhere that he had an issue with. He could spar fine, he could obey just as well as the others, but he didn't have to obey every instruction like a drone; this issue with seeing words was obviously a bigger problem. Mostly because, as a Beast, Cat wasn't required to read. As a Stitchpunk, he was suddenly a step behind all the others.

In a way, Cat was a step below Five, and this jolted him enough to step forwards.

Five was a little unnerved by how Cat was staring him down, so when the male walked behind him he felt a slight tinge of uneasiness. He lightly nudged at Seven who now decided to remove her arm and looked back to the male who joined them. She quipped a brow and he averted his optics to look at the book.

"Hey, Cat," Five greeted awkwardly. "Uh… Want to try practicing now? You don't have to, but if you want to we can." Cat turned his head and directly stared him down. His facial expression didn't reveal a thing, but he was bluntly leering at the one-eyed male. Five quietly stared back for a few seconds before coughing, "Uh… Or you could practice on your own and I could go look for Two." Seven apparently didn't notice the tension in the room as she looked to Five was flabbergasted look as he started to wander off.

Now it was just the two of them. Seven looked back towards Cat, "Are you actually going to do it?" He started to crouch down in front of the book. "This wasn't exactly what Five and Two intended."

"How hard can it be?" This was one of Cat's first fully complete sentences. Less fuzz, less crackling, and Seven could fully hear his voice. Not that she wanted to hear these words. With a pop of her lips, to show brief disagreement, she moved to kneel beside him.

"If you're not going to let Five help you, then you're going to let me help you," Seven insisted, setting her spear aside. "…And if you don't, we're taking this outside." This was a tempting offer, but Cat decided not to test her. "Now let's begin with this passage here…"

* * *

Two hummed as he searched around another stack of books. One of the biggest problems he was finding that most of these books didn't have their titles on them. Any book covers were long gone by now, if they ever were there at all, and manually opening each book was time consuming. He was about to seek out the twins for help when he noticed that he wasn't alone. Peering around the stack, he caught a glimpse of red amongst the mostly blue tinted library. Looking closer, he found that this red came from none other than One.

One was standing on the ledge over the pool, underneath part of the still intact railing that surrounded it. Being that One wasn't facing him, his face was unreadable, but one of his arms was tucked behind him in a relaxed position. Curious, he started over towards the other male. One heard him before he got too close and spun around quickly, staring him down. For a moment Two stared back as though he interrupted something. He needed a sign on whether or not he was to leave the leader alone.

But then One relaxed and Two was reassured that he had just startled him. "I should have expected you," One remarked and turned back to the pool partially. The Inventor smiled and approached, stopping to stand beside him.

"And how is that? I could've been anyone," Two chirped out lightheartedly.

One's answer was more direct, "Because I could hear your limp." He noticed the look on Two's face from that; slight embarrassment and what could've been the pale beginnings of a blush. The older couldn't help but smirk to himself, content with the reaction that the inventor provided him with. "Why are you over here alone? I thought that the others would be crowding you."

"I'm just as surprised that they aren't, but I am on a mission," Two quipped back. "I need to find books that are easier to read." One gave him an odd look, as though Two directly stated that they were for himself when he said no such thing. "For Cat. I believe if we help him read more that he may be able to identify the words better. It's certainly worth a try."

To his surprise, One chuckled at the comment. At first Two thought he was being dismissive and planned to argue, but then One continued. "Ah, but of course. You've always been one with lofty goals, Two. Teaching a Beast to read is one of the more subdued ones." One started to pass Two by, "And if you ever do need a realistic look at the ground again, then you know where my room is, and my door is always open." With that, he continued off, and Two returned to his work.

It surprised Two that One sounded to be in a good mood, considering that they were away from home. As Two started to open a new book, he realized exactly how surprising One's lightheartedness was. Perhaps he was still dismissing Two, but his tone was more playful than anything. It almost sounded…

It hit Two abruptly. It had taken a few seconds, but the impact was just as strong. Strong enough that he lost his grip on the book cover and let it fall back into place. He stared forward as his optics shrunk in sudden surprise. One had almost sounded _flirtatious._

For a moment, Two intended to deny this thought. One was never the type to flirt and, even if he was, he doubted that One would target him. It had to be a misunderstanding on his part. However, the more he thought about it, the more specific One's wording seemed. He hadn't said 'where to find him', he said 'where his room is'. This immediately roused a bright blush across his face. He was stunned, he was confused, and even though he wasn't exactly upset, he was utterly baffled.

He didn't know how long he was standing there before Five appeared. "Alright, Seven got Cat to start working, and… Are you okay?" The one-eyed male noticed the inventor's distant look and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Two jolted to alertness and forced a normal look, "I'm sorry, Five. I was just a little distracted… Don't worry about me." He tried to give the illusion that he was fine, but he was sure that his blush was still evident. "I'm having no luck with finding simpler books, so we'll need to turn to the twins for help."

Five nodded in agreement and followed along as Two led the way. He had no idea what had happened earlier, but knew something was amiss. Two, on the other hand, wasn't sure what happened, but had a feeling One's words would stay with him. He had a feeling it was going to be even harder to focus.

* * *

Six was clearly anxious. Trapped between Three and Nine, he fidgeted with his key and watched them. Nine continued to ask questions and point out things in the book while Three kept eager with interest. She had no idea about Six's secret while Nine knew most of it, but was coming dangerously close to dropping unintentional hints. By now the artist was nearly trembling; the twins wouldn't be able to contain themselves if they found out that he was a walking, talking example of something supernatural. Then everyone else would know.

Occasionally, however, Nine would send Six this excited look. This overeager look of giddiness, of complete interest, and it reminded Six that he wanted to keep Nine happy. Especially after that revelation earlier; he couldn't risk him getting too interested in the Machine. If he did, it would doom them all. Six already had too many nightmares about _that trench._ Besides that, Six liked having Nine engrossed in him. It made him feel special and, while usually not fond of it, the attention was intoxicating.

He would much prefer to show off his telekinesis to Nine in private. That way everything would be easier, safer, and his optics would be fully locked on Six at all times. Six would be happy to do that for Nine. It was then that the zippered male sent him another smile; Six sent an awkward one back and tried to hide the fact that he was shaking.

Unfortunately, it was now that One wandered onto the scene. Immediately, Six shrunk into himself, and his two companions looked back to the approaching leader.

"There you are…" He squinted his optics further. "…Three. Two is looking for books and needs assistance. Where is your twin?" Three hesitated, a little unsure whether to answer or not.

Nine decided to take the liberty to do so and, as Three had mentioned it in passing, knew where Four was. "She's out in the courtyard with Eight."

One's interest skyrocketed, along with a brow, "Alone?"

"Yeah, but she's safe," Nine insisted. "Unless them being out there alone is breaking a rule." This was more of a joking tone, but One's completely sober face was a contrast.

"It very well could be," he murmured under his breath. Then he looked to Three, "Come along and let us find your sibling." He then turned on his heel and started towards the entrance. The twin tilted her head curiously, looked to Nine and Six, Nine shrugged, and then Three hurried after One.

They sat there for a moment, Nine and Six, before the zippered male remarked, "That was weird."

"Yeah…" Six quietly murmured. He was relieved that One had left without noticing what they were reading.

"You weren't uncomfortable, were you?" Nine asked in concern. "I just wanted to see what else I could learn about your… Skill."

"Oh, no, I'm okay," Six excused with a smile. He had a feeling that Nine could see through this disguise. "But if you wanted to learn… I could show you myself. I-If we could find somewhere where nobody would see us." Nine was at his feet almost immediately.

"Sounds good to me!" Nine beamed as he offered his hand and helped the striped male to his feet. Without another word, they headed off to find a quiet corner. Nine had already learned that Six would want to hold his hand, so he decided not to release Six's.

Or maybe it just felt too nice to let go.

* * *

 **Mable: So, here's the thing… You may notice that next week's upload lands on a particularly important day. Unfortunately, this also happens to be the same day that I have to finish my Secret Santa projects and have to post this year's Christmas 9 story… Which means that my time is tight, and realistically I will not be able to finish all three in the allotted time. There's a possibility that maybe I can get the chapter finished on Monday, but for now I'm guessing that I'll have to skip next week's upload.**

 **This isn't final, but if there's no upload for this story on Christmas then that's why. I hope that this chapter is good enough for the possible wait. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15: The Tensions of Training

**Mable: Alright, so things went into the dumpster during Christmas. I won't dwell on it, but something happened, I spent three days (including Christmas) down at the police station filing a report, and as of now I may have been betrayed by a family member. I don't think I'm really able to give more details than that while, you know, this whole thing is still going on, but let me assure you that much has been done and I'm currently on the road to self-recovery… And possible vengeance. It really depends on a few factors.**

 **So, Christmas was a bust and it took me an extra week to finish this chapter, but I think I'm finally back in the groove again. XD Anyway, I don't own 9, I hope you Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Fifteen: The Tensions of Training_

Considering how relaxed he usually was, it was an honest mistake to assume that Cat wouldn't get flustered easily. But when Cat lost his patience, he really lost his patience.

Seven only got in about thirty minutes of reading practice before Cat began to pace. She watched him with amusement as he got more and more wound up. With neither Two nor Five back yet, and Cat looking agitated, she decided to make a judgement call. "Go get some air. Go for a jog or something. We can keep going when you get back," she suggested. She wasn't exactly surprised when he Cat suddenly turned and sprinted out of the study. She could only shake her head at the action before going to look for Two and Five.

He headed straight out towards the courtyard. He needed air and, if all was well, Cat considered going out into the Emptiness for a short run. He needed something to release the pent-up frustration. It only took him a few moments to stride through the Library and to the doorway filled with books, but he then stopped when he noticed something happening. One and Eight were talking on the steps while the twins stood alongside watching. Curious, Cat moved closer and listened in on the scene.

"It's not that I don't believe that the twins can't learn to fight. Nor is it that I don't trust you to teach them. I just don't see it as a necessity," One remarked in an almost defensive fashion. His questioning of the training was already curious to Eight, who didn't understand why his leader was protesting. One also didn't seem like the type to beat around the bush if he suspected something more was going on. This was what Eight suspected, as One was being so oddly hesitant. "But it's fine. If she wants to learn to defend herself, then I won't stand in the way."

Four sent an eager smile to Three which her twin returned. "However-." They both looked back to the leader in confusion. "Two needs your assistance at the moment, so you can run along and tend to that," the leader instructed with a wave of the hand before turning and starting inside. He hesitated in the doorway as he noticed Cat standing there. "It's not proper to eavesdrop," One remarked to him matter-of-factly.

Cat nodded with a slightly submissive bow of the head. Naturally, Cat had a feeling that a submissive gesture would buy One off. Indeed, it had done so.

"Now there needs to be none of that. Just try not to do it again," One remarked before starting off. On the way, he added back in with, "Or, at least, not to me." Once he was out of sight, Cat looked back to the group still outside.

Four sent Eight a look of concern and the large male shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. The boss just doesn't like when I do stuff without telling him. It's gonna happen eventually," he finished with a playful smile. Both twins gave flickers of giggles. "You head in there and help Two. We'll pick this back up later." The Scholars nodded in agreement and started to hurry inside. Three led Four, who was smiling to herself and had a face glowing in green light. They stopped abruptly in front of Cat, both stared for moment, and blinked.

Then Four began to hurriedly drag Three away by the wrist. Three, meanwhile, sent Four a wave as she was led off. It was an odd but amusing scene and Cat raised a hand in greeting. It felt strangely significant. Then he turned and headed out of the Library to stand alongside Eight, who was preparing to take his post yet again.

Cat approached the guard as he sat down on a cement hand. The guard only now noticed him and silently stared. Cat stared back with the accepted challenge of silence, an eager smile tugging at his lips. Seven was a good sparring partner, but Cat wanted to fight someone bigger. Someone who he wouldn't want to restrain himself with. No matter what, no matter how hard she would fight, Seven would bring out cautiousness in him. He was always afraid of scarring her further or seriously injuring her, and he wasn't sure why as he knew she could injure him.

Eight was a much larger Stitchpunk with a thick wall of muscle blocking any serious injury. Cat wouldn't feel the nagging reminder that he didn't want to hurt him. Or have to see the visible reminder of past actions on his back. The guard would be an excellent workout. He reached forward and brushed his claws against the blade, hoping that this would get across his desire.

The guard looked down at his hand and then looked back upwards at Cat, quipping a brow in questioning. Cat proceeded to lightly tap on the knife, then gave it a small nudge.

"…If you're flirting with me, then the answer's no," Eight randomly remarked. Cat's smile dropped and he reverted to bluntness.

"Spar with me," Cat nearly commanded, eagerness in his optics. The guard still raised his brows in surprise for a moment, but then gave his answer.

"Alright," he announced and started to stand. Cat expected more of a reluctance, so Eight's casual acceptance of the battle delighted him. Now they could get to the sparring quicker. Eight and Cat headed down the stairs and a little further out into the courtyard for room, then stared each other down. Eight raised his knife threateningly and held his ground, "Go."

Cat did as commanded. In nearly a heartbeat, he was upon Eight, swiping at him. Eight was able to shield with the blunt side of his knife, but was much slower than Seven. Though as Cat tried to get underneath or over the knife, Eight was blocking him rather well, and he was having trouble getting past his defenses. He circled him quickly and might have gotten a jab in at Eight's shoulder, but it didn't count as the guard didn't even flinch in response to it.

This went on for a short while as a sort of stalemate. It was Eight who finally decided to break the reoccurring theme.

"You're good…" Eight grunted as he shoved Cat back with his knife. To the former Beast's surprise, Eight then threw it to the ground and took a bracing stance. "Let's go hand to hand. No knife, no claws; just you and me." Cat felt an immediate perk of excitement and growled, lowering himself own onto all fours. Then he leapt forwards and began to wrestle with Eight. For a few moments, Cat intended to climb and get the upper hand on the large male. Then, suddenly, Eight's hands tightened on him.

"Gotcha."

And suddenly Cat's back hit the ground and all the air left him. It was a sudden motion, but Eight had completely pinned him down, and was now smirking down at him. This had been his plan all along and now Cat would have to find a way to slide out from under him. Or he would've if someone hadn't interrupted.

"I'd love to see you try that with me," Seven's voice dripped with confidence and a smirk graced her face.

Eight craned his neck to look at her while still pining Cat, "I did a good enough job with your pet here." Seeing his way out, Cat suddenly kicked Eight in the leg, and as the guard was briefly distracted he slid out of his grasp. The guard grumbled, but accepted it. "You get that one because I was distracted." He stood and walked over to his knife. "You two going to spar?"

"I want to fight the winner, and that pinning counted," Seven insisted as she stepped down the stairs. "We spar and the winner fights Cat again. Sound fair?"

Eight gave a nod and a smirk, "I'm still fresh, so don't think it'll be an easy win."

"I hope it won't be," Seven remarked as she slid down her helmet. Like Cat and Eight did, they both took a stance and prepared for the coming battle. Cat perched himself on the first step and watched them prepare to fight. It wasn't nearly as exciting to watch from a distance, but he wanted to see them both in action. Observing and replicating was just one of the ways Cat had worked in the past. He would learn from their movements and shift his own accordingly.

Thus, his optics stayed glued on Seven, and he had no qualms with it.

* * *

"Nobody will see us?"

"I promise, Six, nobody's going to see you."

"Okay… Then let's… Let's start," Six announced as he stood before Nine. His face was glowing with green as he blushed shyly. Nine was sitting on a book and watched with a warm smile on his face. He was eager and willing, and wasn't thinking about the factory, so Six had to put on a show to keep his attention. He hummed and looked around for something easy to lift. His focus soon landed on the key hanging around his own neck. He had moved it plenty of times and naturally assumed that he would be able to work without as much of a headache.

He slipped it off and showed it to Nine. Then, after a brief hesitation, suddenly tossed it upwards a small way. He caught it with his telekinesis at the height of its toss. It hovered in the air, sitting there wavering, and Six watched it to keep it levitating. He wanted to see Nine's reaction, but he didn't want to risk losing focus. He let it lower a bit before knocking it higher, releasing his grip for a moment and then catching it again. It felt so fluid, so easy, and he could feel a growing eagerness in his soul. This felt good; this felt right.

"It doesn't hurt?" Nine asked curiously. There was some concern in his voice, but the interest was present as well. This interest was what Six desired more than anything else and he felt a brighter spark of encouragement. He beamed eagerly and dropped the key into his hands so that he could look at Nine.

"Not when I use the key. It's so light that it doesn't hurt at all," Six explained to him. "The heaviness makes my head hurt. That's why the brick hurt me." He could only relish in how good it felt to show off. He tossed the key back into the air, caught it, and started to twirl it in circles. A more confident smile locked to his face as he began to bat his key around. Back and forth, easy shifting it back and forth, and hearing Nine begin to praise.

"It's just incredible! I never thought something like this could be possible!" Nine gushed. "But, I mean, even the book stated that this wasn't a recorded phenomenon. You could be one of the only… Beings whose been able to do this!" The zippered male leaned forwards and turned his focus to Six directly instead of the floating key. "How does it feel?"

"It's…" Six began, uncertainly, and then perked. "It's like I was meant to do this. It's wrong, but it feels like I can finally relax." He tested the boundaries a little further. As though an invisible muscle was stretching and flexing with use after being so long restrained. He moved the key faster, darting it around in the air, but then suddenly noticed that Nine was moving to stand by him. All it took was a moment of distraction and suddenly he lost his grip. The key flew off into the Library while Six desperately tried, but failed, to catch it in his hold.

With a soft clinking noise, the key was gone. Six reacted. according.

" _Gah!"_ Six gave the panicked cry and his fingers dove into his yarn. "Oh no, oh no, it's gone! My key- My key is gone!" He looked over to Nine in horror who raised his hands.

"Hey, calm down," Nine coaxed as he laid his hands on Six's shoulders, giving him a light shake to snap him out of it. Six lowered his hands in response as his mismatched optics flickered back between the area where the key fell and Nine. "It couldn't have gone too far. We can find it," he had a slightly amused smile as he reassured the smaller male. Then he followed by leading the striped Stitchpunk deeper into the Library.

Unfortunately, finding the key was easier said than done. The next thing either knew, they were searching through hundreds of sprawled books look for something smaller than a Stitchpunk. Six's panic only increased as he started to scramble around the room in a fury, scanning any possible opening for the missing key.

However, it was Nine who eventually found the key, to his immediate relief. Thanks to his Lightstaff he could spot it on the ground from some ways away. He held it snatched it and held it in the air in triumph. "Found it!" He had about two seconds to register footsteps before Six slammed into the side of him with a tight hug. Nine smiled down in surprise and bashfulness, then handed over the key when Six pulled back with an elated smile.

Six clung to it as though it was a lifeline. "I-I thought I lost it for real this time," he admitted sheepishly as he cuddled it close to his chest. "I don't know what I'd do if I did…"

"As long as I'm here and I've got a working light," Nine tapped his staff to the ground to accentuate his words, "then we'll be able to find it together. Don't worry so much about losing it." His confidence made Six feel bubbly, and after putting on his key he slipped forwards to embrace him again. This time the zippered male hugged back. "Thank you for showing me this, Six. Showing me what you can do."

Six didn't respond, but eagerly nuzzled into Nine's front. The zippered male patted over the younger male's back affectionately before they were both interrupted.

"What are you two doing back here?" Five's sudden voice caused both Nine and Six to jump in surprise. They separated and looked over at the one-eyed male with flustered looks. "I thought you were researching something."

"We were!" Nine squeaked out in defense, looking back to Six and then to Five again. "Six just- Six lost his key and I found it for him. He was just thanking me." Six nodded quickly in agreement while Nine followed with an awkward smile. Five looked between them, but then smiled happily, seemingly seeing nothing amiss.

"It's a good thing you were able to find it. With a place this big, things could get lost easily," Five pointed out. Then he gave an awkward smile of his own and rubbed his neck, "Like Two. Have you seen him?" They both shook their heads. "We were looking for books and he wandered off somewhere. He's probably fine, but I don't want to be too careful."

"Then we'll help you look. He couldn't have gotten far," Nine volunteered to make it not sound suspicious. He started to jog over to Five, briefly turning around to beckon the striped male with a smile. Six didn't pause for a moment longer before eagerly sprinting after the two. The giddiness had consumed him yet again, and again he had Nine to thank for it.

* * *

By now, One was growing weary of the Library. Mostly because of how little he had to do within its walls. He felt sorely out of place, drained, and entirely uncomfortable. The Library was too open to be safe and too massive to be easily crossed. Even now, wandering through the various stacks of books, One nearly felt lost and grumbled to himself in his own fussiness. "We could be at the Sanctuary now doing something much more productive, but no. Instead we come here. Even though there's barely a thing here that is worth seeing."

He turned a corner and suddenly noticed Two sitting on a book nearly, leaning against the stack behind it. "I suppose you are having a much more enjoyable experience. One of us better be, or it was not worth coming here at all," One announced to voice his displeasure. Two failed to react to his voice. "Two? I swear, if you're asleep again…" One quickened his pace to stand in front of Two and, as expected, he had fallen asleep. This was a habit of Two's; working himself to exhaustion and then randomly plopping down anywhere for a nap.

"For Creator's sake, Two," One grumbled out as he sent the shorter Stitchpunk an exasperated look. The shorter, of course, did not hear him. He was too busy being fast asleep on the book. The leader rubbed his face tiredly, "This should be reason enough to head home." He then wearily looked to Two with an almost thoughtful look. At least Two managed to look happy while he slept; it looked like the corner of his mouth was tinged upwards in a smile. One had to look closer to make sure Two wasn't faking sleep; it soon was confirmed that Two, indeed, smiled in his sleep.

Something about this was remarkably charming, even for someone as hard to please as One was. The leader tapped on his staff as he looked over the shorter male. He was just so peculiar, so innocent, and even in his sleep looked completely free of troubles. It was naïve, yes, but One couldn't help but marvel at it. With a sigh, he found himself fondling at the clasp on his cape, undoing it and letting the red cloth slide off his shoulders. He felt reluctant to be seen without his cape, but something forced him to spread it over Two.

He tucked it in around the smaller male's body. If anything, the red cloth looked good on the shorter male, which surprised him. Blue always seemed to be Two's color, and yet the red looked like it belonged on him. "Crazy old fool," One remarked, not knowing whether he was talking to Two or himself. Once Two was securely tucked in, the older male made himself scare and turned to flee. Though he wasn't more than a few feet away before he noticed some curious onlookers standing off to the side. He looked over to see the twins.

He felt heat burn on his face, "It's not polite to stare, you two." The twins looked to each other and One gave a disgruntled wave. "Just do what you were. We won't be here much longer so you should use your time wisely." They nodded and hurried off, but were pointedly flickering about something as they fled. They seemed too interested, and One could only assume that it was about Two and him. A reluctant embarrassment passed and a scowl briefly settled on his face, and he went out to search for his guard.

Though he didn't find him out front like he expected. Instead, he found Cat and Seven in the process of light sparring. Both were weary from having sparred for so long and were now doing little beyond batting back and forth at each other.

"Where's Eight?" One inquired as he tried to suppress his discomfort from the twins' gaze.

"Where's your cape?" Seven quipped back, glancing out of the corner of her optic. "And he left to 'check the perimeter'. I assumed you asked him to do it."

"I didn't, but I respect his decision," One pointedly stated. The tenseness was there, but wasn't as obvious as it had been before. As long as they went through the motions, and both left their opinions at the door, civility could still exist. "Our time is wearing thin. I would give us only an hour at most and I need to make certain that everyone is prepared for the long trek back."

Cat tightened his mouth at the comment in amusement. Long trek indeed. When he was still in his old body, he could've ran that expanse in only a few seconds. Though his amusement dropped when he noticed some odd body language from Seven. She hesitated fully in her actions and was slightly looking at one, but her face had a solemn look on it. As new as he was to Stitchpunk behavior, he immediately assumed that it was from One saying that they were leaving. Seven seemed like she would come and go on her own terms, which was a decision that Cat respected.

"If you see him, tell him that I will be by the pool," One insisted and then turned to head back inside.

"I'll be sure to do that," Seven responded. However, she then fell into a remarkable silence right afterwards. The somber tone had swallowed her and she seemed less than eager about the prospect of continued sparring.

Cat decided to inquire about this, "Dove?"

She looked to him now, focusing in attentively on the male sparring with her. "Cat, you know that's not my name," she pointed out. "…But I'll let it pass only because it's easier to pronounce. Only for now." She got a slight smile, but it was very faint. Cat tilted his head and sent her a questioning look, showing his disbelief in her false contentment.

"Why don't we go inside and try the reading again? We won't be here for much longer, so we need to use the time while we can," Seven added in before turning to head inside. "Come along, Cat." Cat wasn't exactly wanting to go inside to practice and would have flat out refused for any of the others. Or would've wandered off hoping that the Stitchpunks wouldn't persist. With Seven acting so strange, however, Cat decided to simply go along with her desire.

As for Seven, she had a tough decision to make, and she had a feeling that no matter what she decided it would be wrong.

* * *

 **Mable: The next chapter should be posted next Sunday, right on schedule! I will be working my hardest to get back on track as soon as I possibly can. ^-^ I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	16. Chapter 16: She who stays Behind

**Mable: So, it's become apparent to me that I can't always keep up weekly deadlines with this story. I'm trying, my goal is to post every Sunday, but I barely make it at best and don't make it at worst. The bigger issue is that, because it takes so long to do these chapters, I don't usually get a good enough amount of time to proofread afterwards. I write a lot in the late night, so I find replaced words all the time.**

 **So, after this chapter, I'm going to try loosen the Sunday limit and see if I can update easier without a designated posting time. I have so many plans for this story and I don't want to lose a handle on it when it's been going so long. Though don't expect that to mean multiple weeks between updates. Most likely it'll still be every seven to ten days, or earlier if I manage to get lucky and write fast, with Sunday still being the goal in mind.**

 **Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter 16: She who stays Behind_

Two awoke sluggishly enough to stretch, yawn, and only then notice that there was fabric laying across him. In confusion, he lifted the fabric close to study it, and suddenly realized that is was a familiar red. It was clearly One's cape, and it didn't take more than a moment for Two to realize what had happened. Heat struck his face and he glanced over at the nearby Stitchpunk standing and watching him. Naturally, it just happened to be Eight, who stared with an unreadable look. Then, slowly, Eight quirked a brow in questioning.

Immediately, Two's face burned hotter as he contemplated the situation. He had fallen asleep and someone put One's cape over him. Considering that getting One's cape off him was nearly impossible, this could only mean that One himself put it on Two. Naturally, this only added to Two's growing confusion about One. Or possible suspicion, as this was yet another of One's out of character decisions.

"Boss says we'll be leaving soon," Eight announced with a slight smirk briefly passing his lips. Perhaps he suspected something too. Contrary to what One probably thought, Eight was extremely observant, so it was very possible that he noticed this change in behavior.

"Blast it all… I was hoping to get more time to work, and I end up falling asleep on the job," Two remarked in a flustered tone. His shaky voice gave away the perplexation that he was trying to hide with his normal sounding words. He scrambled off the book as quickly as he could and draped the cape over his arm. "I… Wouldn't suppose you would know where One is?" There came the meekness on his voice, on schedule.

"He's around here somewhere. Probably looking for the others," Eight pointed out. He then got a more honest smile, "Stick by me and you'll find him. He always comes back and finds me." Eight did tend to be kinder to Two than he was to most of the others, and it was a relief that he was no longer looking at Two as though he suspected something. The shorter Inventor agreed and followed with the guard as they sought out the rest of the Stitchpunks.

It wasn't a surprise when they managed to find the others in the twins' study. In fact, Two somewhat expected this to be the case. Though right as they entered, the twins scurried over to them, and Two could see Five stand from a nearby book that he was sitting on.

"Two! There you are!" Five smiled warmly as he looked to his mentor. Two smiled back and headed over to them. The twins stayed alongside Eight as he did. Nine was sitting alongside and, while looking happy that Two appeared, didn't stand. Some ways away, Six was on his knees drawing, and close to him was Seven, who was pacing. "I was worried about you when you didn't show back up," Five pointed out as he put an arm around Two's back affectionately.

"I got a bit distracted," Two excused, but he had a feeling Five would know what happened. He lifted the red cape and Five looked down at it curiously. "Have you seen One? He left his cape."

"He _took off_ his cape?" Five asked in surprise. It only punctuated how out of character the event had been, and Two gave an almost nervous chuckle. He knew that questions were coming. "Why did he take it off?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Two answered in what was actually the truth. "But no doubt he wants it back. So if he appears, send him my way. Considering that we're all here he should be here momentarily." This made enough sense to the group of them.

Deciding to change the subject, Two looked to the pacing Warrior. It was now that he noticed how distressed she looked. "Seven, is everything alright?" Now both Nine and Five also looked to her in concern. The pale female stopped in place and gave a small exhale.

"It feels like we almost just got here," Seven admitted quietly. "And already we're being told to return to the Cathedral. It's nowhere near dark, so this seems entirely unnecessary." Her discourse became more verbal.

"Well, perhaps… But these are the terms I agreed to. Don't be angry at One; I gave the suggestion," Two admitted. He was hoping to keep her and the leader on good terms.

She sent him a sympathetic look, "Two, if it wasn't for you he wouldn't have willingly let us come here. How can you make it your fault?" Then the pale female looked towards the floor. "Now that we're home, I don't feel ready to just return to the Cathedral. I never agreed with One that I had moved back in."

This comment struck immediate surprise into all the Stitchpunks, except Eight who sort of raised a brow.

"What are you saying?" Five asked in surprise. "Are you saying you're… Not coming home with us?" There was dread across his face. This was equally shared with Nine's shocked one and Two's somber one. The twins were also looking to Seven in anticipation of an answer.

"…No. I will be staying here," Seven announced. This got a gasp out of Five, but she continued. "But this short vacation has proven to me that returning to the Cathedral, for the occasional visit, is entirely possible. I won't be returning with you, but that doesn't mean I'll be gone forever." She gave a small smile, feeling a sort of weight already easing off her shoulders. "I just think that this for the best."

"But…" Nine quietly began, completely torn about the decision. He looked back to Five and Two, but they didn't look like they would protest even though they were upset. He then looked to Six, who was staring at Seven with a tilted head of confusion. Nobody was making any attempt to stop. "But we should be together, right? We're like a family; we shouldn't be separated," Nine tried to convince her.

While Nine's words were innocently endearing, Seven's mind was already made up. "We're still a family, and we're not that far away, but we need at least a little distance. At least, until we can be sure that things won't be the same as they were before." She fell silent and Nine dropped his head.

It was now that One entered the study, grumbling to himself. By time he looked upwards, everyone was staring directly at him. It was unnerving and he couldn't tell if it was from his missing cape or late entrance. "Why are you all staring at me like that?" he inquired with suspicion.

Instead, it was mostly because nobody knew how One would react to Seven's news. Five tightened his hand on Two's arm and looked down at him. Two, in response, flickered his optics around before noticing the cape draped over his arm. "Oh!" He moved in closer, approaching the leader hastily. "Oh, your cape! You, here, you need your cape." He scrambled to hand it over and tried to natural.

One's optics briefly darted over the other Stitchpunks before taking his cape. "Yes, of course…" He tried to hurriedly put the cape on and continued by fixing his hat. "Let's not stall any longer. It's a long walk back to the Cathedral." He sent a nod to Two and then beckoned Eight before turning to head out. Eight followed loyally out of the study and soon afterwards Two followed.

"One, wait," Two started as he got to One's side. One didn't stop, he just slowed his pace as he continued to walk towards the front of the Library. "Seven… Won't be coming with us."

One hesitated for a moment, as though he was surprised, before waving it off immediately. "I suspected as much." He then continued along while Two gawked after him.

"You're… You're fine with it?" Two asked in surprise, following along behind him. He expected a tantrum, an angry yell, but One was as collected as could be. "I sort of just assumed you would be upset."

"Of course I am," though One's casual tone seemed to disagree with this, "But I won't fuel her fire. If she wants to stay here for her than so be it. If she wants to stay to spite me, I won't give her the time of day." He adjusted his cape and looked back to Two. "If she wishes to stay here in the Library then that is her choice. A foolish choice, but hers, and one that she can regret in her own time." Two decided that arguing with One's belief of 'regret' would only fan the coals. With him being so passive, Two decided that this was a step in the right direction.

"That's very considerate of you, One," Two complimented with a smile. "Then we're ready to return home."

"Yes, of course," One agreed. "Unless there's anything else you need to discuss?" By the way that One turned partially after he said this, it was apparent that he though Two would let him go. Instead, the Inventor partially reached out, though dared not to touch his arm.

"Actually, yes…" This would be hard to get out. "Your cape just happened to get on me while I was sleeping." Immediately Two had to smother any sort of obscene reaction; he could already feel a tiny, perhaps inappropriate smile try to form.

"It did? Hmm… It must have been Eight. You know how he is," One quickly excused in a dismissive fashion. Though not only did he refuse to look directly into Two's optics, but this excuse was flimsy as best. He didn't even pretend to be shocked, and Two found an amused smile sneaking out onto his face.

"Are you saying Eight has access to your cape?" Two quipped with a curious look. This achieved an odd silence.

"…Fine, it was me," One bluntly admitted with a frown. He hadn't expected Two to persist. "But you looked pitiful on that book, curled into yourself, and it was only through generosity that I leant you my cape." The leader's exaggeration was pointedly to cover how uncomfortable he was feeling. He hadn't been anticipating Two seeking answers, even though he knew he should've expected it. The Inventor wasn't the type to understand the subtlety of cordial gestures.

"Well, I thank you," Two replied with a tender smile. He rubbed his hands together as he averted his eyes to One's cape instead of his face. "It is an excellent cape. Very soft, very warm."

"It is. I couldn't bear to part with it," One agreed. He then glanced back to notice that Five and Nine were approaching, with Six scurrying behind them. The conversation would have to be dropped and this was his excuse to do so. However, he found that he was tempted to add something else. After a few seconds of consideration, One added in, "Though you would look regal in one. Perhaps you should consider taking the time to stitch one for yourself?" He quipped a brow, Two looked baffled, and One followed with a tinge of a smirk.

Then he beckoned the three Stitchpunks and turned to Eight, who had clearly been listening to the conversation. Two was now more confused than ever. That suggestion seemed a little too direct, especially for someone like One. Deciding not to question, Two followed them along out of the Library. Even with the answer, Two didn't feel any less confused.

Though Two wasn't nearly as torn as the twins were. Three and Four had watched the others leave the study and were now left behind with Seven. Seven noticed the longing look they sent after the group and assumed they were upset about the others leaving.

"They'll get home alright," Seven encouraged them with a soft smile. They looked back to her with sorrow in their optics. "And we'll see them soon enough. It was time for us to come home." While she said this, the twins couldn't help but send a slow look at each other. Three flickered to Four, Four responded. Three looked insistent, Four looked desperate. They both looked uncertain.

"…What's wrong?" Seven knew that something was amiss. It wasn't just missing the others or there wouldn't be this obvious dispute between the two of them. Four looked down and Three looked away; both looked too reluctant to explain. "You two can tell me what it is. I won't be upset with either of you." Three looked back towards Four, giving her a concerned look.

Four's face engulfed in a green blush and she grabbed at her hood, tightening her grip on the soft, navy fabric. Then she let her optics glow and sent an image to the floor of a single number.

"Eight?" Seven tilted her head as she questioned. Then it came to her, "For the sparring, or…?" Three's shake of the head revealed all. "…I see." Seven didn't know whether she was surprised or not. She clearly noticed that Four had become more interested in Eight's company, but it was sort of unbelievable to think that Four had romantic feelings towards him. She just seemed so young. Though Seven knew what they were trying to say. This could go a few different ways, but only one of the ways made sense to the situation.

"You want to go with them." Four shrunk down at Seven's direct tone. While she didn't necessarily sound angry, she didn't sound exactly pleased either. The Scholar gave a tiny nod in response. The silence was deafening for a short while. Then Seven exhaled tiredly. "That's fine. I can't force you to stay here- Or I won't force you to stay here," she began. The twins were shocked at her willingness, but both had a feeling there was something that Seven wasn't saying. Which wasn't uncommon for Seven.

"You should hurry before they get to far," Seven encouraged, giving a small smile. "And if Eight gives you any trouble, remember I'm always here to put him in place." She let playfulness slip into her voice. More encouraged, Four and Three both hurried forwards to hug her before running off after the others. Though Seven's smile dropped immediately. It was easier just to put her feelings aside for the moment. If she kept them here then she would be no better than One, and that hung over her head.

Without a moment's hesitation, she headed deep into the Library, into her room.

* * *

It was nighttime before Seven left her room again. She had wasted as much time as she could fiddling in her room, but it was time to stretch her legs. Unfortunately, she couldn't run from this forever. She could easily walk out of a confrontation, her staying here was her way of doing that, but she couldn't escape her own disappointment. Not in the twins, but in being so co-dependent on the twins. She was born to stand on her own, so she shouldn't have been so distraught. Or that was what she considered.

Eventually Seven found her way to the pool and sat down on the edge. She stared down at the water far below and contemplated taking a quick swim to burn off some tension. Though this was immediately interrupted by the sound of tapping from nearby. Seven sprung to her feet and spun around, spear brandished in a protective manner. She expected to see anything, Beast or not, so seeing Cat wasn't too much of a surprise.

"Cat?" Seven asked in confusion, lowering her spear. He was standing nearby, but seemed to know better than to approach her directly and risk her spear swinging around. "What are you doing here? I thought you left with the others."

"I came back," Cat responded as he started to approach. He crouched down by the edge of the drop and stared over into the water. He seemed only moderately interested in the view. He soon cocked his head to look at her. "What are you doing here?" He seemed to speak better when he could mimic and, ironically enough, he had something to mimic.

"It's no surprise I'm not going back, Cat," Seven pointed out to him. She relaxed a bit more now that he was in a more subdued position. The Warrior wouldn't admit it, but she wasn't entirely comfortable being fully alone with the former beast. Not yet, at least, as they hadn't been fully alone before this point. "I don't belong there. I belong here."

"Alone?" Cat sounded almost amused as he asked this.

"Until you ruined my quiet time," Seven retorted with a small smirk tugging at her lips. She set her spear aside, "I don't suppose One drove you off, so I'm guessing you came for me." She slowly exhaled and stared down at the pool below.

"Why aren't you coming back? Did One drive _you_ off, Dove?" Cat asked, again borrowing words and sounding them out again. Then he took a chance with his own. "What are you hiding from?"

Seven immediately reacted to the comment, "I'm not hiding."

"Is it One?" He tilted his head a little further and looked to her with continuing interest. "This…" he clicked his claws together, "thing between you and One?"

"Cat, _enough_. You can't make me admit something that doesn't exist," Seven retorted a little more firmly. "I disagree with One's practices. Therefore, I live here in the Library, out from under his rule. The twins wanted to return to the Cathedral on their own decision, so I let them. That's why I'm here." She then removed her helmet. "And I'm going for a swim. Coming?"

"Nah," Cat replied. He cringed as he looked at the water. "Why get in that?" He then looked back to her as she continued getting ready to dive. She noticed his staring right away.

"What?" Seven question with a raised brow.

"You can run away from One, Dove, but you can't run from me," Cat challenged her. She responded by rolling her optics and diving off the edge. For a moment, Cat reconsidered his statement, as he had no intention of getting into the water. Instead, he circled the pool to get to a level, where she would eventually be getting out. Seven slowly swam in laps around the pool. She was out of practice, but it was good to know that she could still swim as well as she could before. Especially being that few of the others could do so.

It didn't take her long to notice that Cat was watching her swim. She decided to paddle closer to the edge of the pool. "You can come in with me," she offered, "the water's not too cold."

"Eh, I'll pass," Cat shrugged off once more.

"If you can't swim, I can teach you," Seven volunteered. At least it would give her something to do while they were here.

"I rather watch you from here," he coyly remarked with a tinge of a smirk. This was just enough for Seven who decided that Cat had given her enough trouble for the evening. She reached out and grabbed his ankle, trying to tug him into the water with a determined look. His claws immediately clung to the tiles, not that it helped, to stop him from sliding in. What kept him on the ground was his weight, which Seven was shocked at.

"This is going nowhere. You have to weigh as much as Eight," Seven pointed out and removed her hand from his ankle. "What are you created from, lead?" This got a snicker out of the male and he shifted his crouch to a comfortable one again. He leaned in a little more, watching her in the water.

"How?... Do you do that? You're supposed to sink," Cat asked with a quip of curiosity. It completely baffled him that Seven could swim.

"I'm light enough to swim if I take care not to sink too low," Seven pointed out in response. "I'm assuming that beasts are not able to swim." Cat gave a quick shake of the head. She assumed this before the confirmation, but it was nice to get extra answers.

"Get out of there," Cat encouraged as he offered a claw, "and we can go to Sanctuary." She got a defiantly unimpressed look in response. She had a feeling that he was going to ply her to return.

"Cat, I already told you and the others that I don't intend to return at this moment. Maybe in a few days or a few weeks, but not now." Seven pushed off against the edge and back into the water. Cat swatted forward lightly, as though playfully attempting to tap her submerged feet. Once a safe distance, Seven called over to him, "But you can stay the night here if you'd like. The twins' bed is free and I don't think they would mind." She knew for a fact that they wouldn't mind. "I'll show you once I'm done."

He waited patiently, watching her swim around the water, and wondered if she was willingly stalling. He wasn't exactly tired, but that didn't mean that Cat would turn down sleep. Especially since she wasn't currently driving him from the Library for suggesting she needed to go back with the others. With Cat, it wasn't a matter of being alone, but a matter of being reluctantly alone. Something like going away to seek solitude was something he could get behind, but considering that the twins' leaving was sudden, he doubted that Seven chose to be entirely alone.

Eventually she was satisfied with her exercise and climbed out of the water. As she patted and squeezed at her canvas, trying to drain the water out of her fabric, Cat watched her carefully. His optics took in her bare form, as it was seldom that he saw her without her helmet. She noticed and gave a quick quip, "I'd tell you to take a picture, but I'm afraid you actually could." An amused smirk passed her lips and one followed on his own. She then beckoned him, "Let me grab my stuff and I'll lead you into the back."

Soon, Seven was leading Cat into the sleeping quarters that the twins and her had made in the back of the Library. The rooms were small, but the twins' one was separated from Seven's. The twins' room was blocked off by a curtain, like the workshop used, but the inside was a cramped mess overfilled with spare objects. Bottles of buttons and marbles, various books, tiny figures of wood, and even a music box were shoved into the space. Then, against the back wall, there was a nest-like bed made from part of a wool scarf with pillows made of cotton fluff.

The twins shared the bed, so this explained why it was bigger than one would expect. Cat wandered around the stuff in the room and stared down at it.

"It's more comfortable than it looks. Trust me," Seven chimed in at this point. Indeed, she had stayed in the bed once, though that was with the twins. Cat was dealing with something much less uncomfortable. He collapsed onto it, twisting as he fell to land on his back on the fabric. He shifted around, getting himself comfortable, and then reached to slip his helmet off. He left the armor on his shoulders and upper back on, making no attempt to remove them.

"I'll be in my room if you need me for anything," Seven offered as she passed through the curtain. "Good night, Cat."

"Night, Dove," Cat purred in response and curled into the bed. Seven shook her head as she continued out of the room and to her own. Here he was still calling her Dove…

Yet it was starting to grow on her.

* * *

 **Mable: Will Seven return to the Cathedral? Are the others worried about here? Will 9's temptation become too great? All to be revealed in the next chapter!... And the ones following it, of course. XD I hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Chapter 17: Talking it Through

**Mable: Finally, with the new chapter! While this one took a while, I do have some good news; I've been getting more work down on 'When the Wolf Watches' and 'Magnetic Attraction'. With all due luck, the former will get an update and the latter will get its last chapter very soon! ^-^ I consider that a mini victory in and of itself. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Seventeen: Talking it Through_

Seven immediately knew something was different when she woke, and that significant difference was that somebody else was in bed with her. Alarm wracked her body as she leaned forward towards her spear out of reflex. This alarm immediately receded as she noticed the distinct sound of purring. Her shock turned to disbelief, she pursed her lips in a tinge of annoyance, and she turned over to stare down Cat. At some point in the night he had, without provocation, climbed into bed with her and decided to sleep in her room.

At least Cat had decided to keep distance. He had propped her second pillow between them and was facing the wall, so he obviously foresaw that she wouldn't be fully comfortable with an uninvited bedmate. He was still purring though. It was just quieter than usual.

With a sigh, Seven reached over and nudged him directly in the back. At some point, he had taken off his upper body armor; probably out of risk of it poking her in the night. "I gave you your own bed for a reason," she murmured as he fidgeted in growing alertness. Her optics looked out from her room, trying to see how much light was out in the Library. "It's probably morning by now. If you don't get back to the Cathedral Two's going to get worried and One's going to throw a fit." She slid out of bed and headed to her helmet and spear.

The intention was to walk him out, and to make sure he actually left this time. As she slipped her bird skull helmet on the bed lightly creaked from Cat's shifting. She knew that he was heavier than normal and that it hadn't just been her own strength in the water the night before. Though her thoughts were halted by Cat's voice.

"Not going without you," Cat volunteered with a quiet determination. Seven looked back to him abruptly over her shoulder. She was surprised by the dead serious look on his face. No teasing, no joking, Cat absolutely wanted her to go with him.

She stood her ground with a firm face, "I already told you why I can't go back."

"No, you didn't," Cat clarified. "You just said you wouldn't. Said something about One." To Seven's dismay, Cat woke up in an oddly determined mood. He was staring the warrior down and refusing to let up. Though she was still resistant to spill her thoughts to him. Unless she absolutely had to, or unless it would help her in the long run. It occurred to her that maybe he would understand her plight.

"Fine then. I will tell you what happened," Seven agreed as she turned back to face him. She approached the bed again and sat down beside it, then closed her optics as she explained. "A long time ago I was the scout for the Cathedral and part of their group. They relied on me to get the supplies for them. Two went out occasionally, but Five was too scared after losing his eye, and One wanted to keep Eight close to him. So it was up to me. I did my job without complaint and both the beasts and humans died out, I thought it was becoming easier…"

She paused for effect, "…But then you appeared."

Cat was immediately interested, tilting his head only a tinge and sliding in closer. He wanted to hear the story involving her and now him. He wanted to remember things he had forgotten.

"You were the only one who caught me," Seven admitted with a tinge of shame. Just admitting that she had been caught was hard to do. "You took me back to that factory, put me in that cage, and there I waited for someone to save me. I was injured, I was exhausted, so I needed someone to step in and rescue me…" Her mouth tightened for a moment. "But nobody came."

The male was still watching her, but she wouldn't look at him so she didn't know his reaction. Oddly, even though he had been the beast who imprisoned her, she found her blame towards him much lesser than her blame towards other parties. He had been a beast, so he had been predictable. Others weren't nearly as predictable as that.

"Eventually I managed to get the door open and escaped the cage… But that was after a long night where I waited for nobody. When I returned to the Cathedral, after I was stitched closed, I realized that nobody was coming after me. One didn't send anyone. In fact, he had stalled them from coming, saying that I was fine and that it was unsafe for them to leave." Anger spread onto her features. "I couldn't believe it; after all of my effort, my loyalty, my struggles to keep the Cathedral with supplies, he would've let me sit in that factory forever!"

Her hands tightened into fists on her legs. She was nearly growling, but that died down as Cat slid a little closer. "What are you doing?" she questioned as he put an arm around her from behind. She didn't immediately knock him away, to her own surprise, but her suspicion was heavy as he held her from behind. He affectionately pressed his face into her shoulder, almost apologetically. "Cat, what you did- it doesn't matter anymore. We were enemies during a war… One was my leader. He was supposed to protect me, but he didn't."

Frustration was evident still, but Cat's affectionate gesture did ease her mood a little. He chose a good time to step in and try to comfort. He paid attention to her reaction and noticed the exact moment that she relaxed into his touch. Seven was clearly a guarded Stitchpunk, but she was allowing him to be this close; he wouldn't forget that.

"I'm fine. I really am. I really am over what happened, but that's why I had to leave originally," Seven explained further. "And therefore, I can't go back."

"To get back at One? Not going to work," Cat suddenly voiced. "Bothers you more than One?"

"What?" Seven nearly gasped, surprised that Cat would say such a thing. "I'm not- I don't stay here just to get back at One."

"Doesn't keep you safe either," Cat reminded her. At this comment, she suddenly stood, breaking away from his arms, and it almost surprised him to have her suddenly out of his arms. He looked upwards at her as she stared him down with a glare, standing proudly. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of her own room, leaving him alone. The male inwardly cursed himself for offending her to this point, knowing that it only made her less trusting of him.

It didn't take Cat long to get dressed in his helmet and armor. By now he knew that, with or without Seven, he needed to check back at the Cathedral. As it was, he could currently have commands that he knew nothing about and that needed to be fulfilled. He looked around briefly for Seven, but couldn't find her, so he headed out to the courtyard. He stretched a few times, bracing himself for the sprint home, when suddenly Seven appeared again out of the Library. To his surprise, she looked more melancholy than angry.

"Cat, before you leave…" she started as she approached him, then stood there uncomfortably. It was obvious that she didn't want to have to do what she was doing. "…You might have a point." Cat started to smile a little too much then. "Not with everything. I don't stay here to get back at One or to protect myself from One's behavior… However…" She looked towards the ground. "However, I can't just stay away from the Cathedral forever. We are all a family and keeping away from One only keeps me and the twins away from the others. I can't let that happen."

Cat hoped that she was suggesting what he thought she was, and she finally did. "I will return to the Cathedral with you for today. Just so that I can check the twins, check the others, and show that I still want to be a part of their community. I may want to stay away from One, but I can't let him get between Two, Six, Five, Eight, and I any longer." Then, after a soft sigh, she gave a firm, "Thank you."

Cat gave a small purr before responding, "Nothing." Seven assumed he meant 'it's nothing' or something along those lines, but didn't correct him.

"Now why don't I escort you home?" Seven offered with a confident smile, one hand on her hip and the other still on her spear. "Unless you're afraid you'll slow me down," she quipped with a small smirk.

If anything, Cat would probably go slower than intended with Seven by his side, but he preferred it. He preferred to get as much extra time as he could while Seven was in a better mood. Maybe she would stick around for the others' sake.

Though maybe he only wanted her to come back for his own sake.

* * *

One felt a sourness clench at his chest as he realized that, once again, Eight was distracted in teaching Four how to spar. While Three watched nearby, Eight taught Four stance and how to jab with a small knife. It was one of his own, which usually meant that nobody else was to touch it. However, he was more than willing to teach the scholar how to fight with it. Meanwhile, he hadn't tended to or checked on his leader in the last hour or so. With a defiant pout, One approached the stairs with the intent to head into the watchtower and seek out Two.

In a stroke of luck, Two was standing at the lift with Nine and Five, but he had yet to raise into the watchtower. With a frown, he moved himself to Two's side, shooting him a look. Two raised a brow in silent confusion. He then looked back to Nine and Five.

"You two go on ahead. I'll be with you in a moment," Two offered them. One straightened himself, trying to give a dignified appearance even through his obvious disturbance. Both Nine and Five looked a little confused, with Five getting a split second of a suspicious look. Not an aggressive suspicion, but clearly a knowing one, as though Five was finally starting to take note of how much more time One was requiring with Two. That aside, the two climbed into the lift and started to raise into the watchtower, leaving the older males alone.

One beckoned Two into his nearby bedroom and, once through the threshold, began to vent.

"What is this?" One demanded. "What is going on between Eight and Four? He is ignoring his duties, ignoring me, and when exactly did either twin become so interested in Eight to begin with?" He looked to Two for an answer, but only found amusement. "And what, pray tell, is so humorous? I'm losing my guard!"

"Don't overreact, One, you certainly aren't losing your guard. Eight's just happy to have someone interested in his work," Two quickly replied. He then got a slyer look, "And Four just happens to be very smitten with Eight. Don't tell him, of course, but I'm under the assumption that Four fancies Eight in a stronger way than just a teacher."

One's narrowed optics glanced to the side, "I figured as much…"

"Then you know there's nothing to worry about!" Two exclaimed and laid a hand on One's shoulder. He smiled in a reassuring manner. "We expected this to happen. We're the only Stitchpunks in existence; eventually some of us may begin to fall in love."

"Yes, but I didn't expect Eight…" One admitted with a surprising amount of melancholy. "It feels as though I'm losing him… I expected this from Five or Nine, perhaps with the twins, but not Eight." Two gave him a pat on the shoulder of sympathy and continue assurance.

"It's not the end of the world, One. Not only does this not mean that Eight will spend all his time with Four, as we know he won't, but we don't even know if Eight returns Four's feelings," Two pointed out.

"Of course he does. You said it yourself, Two. Eight is happy having someone interested in his work; that's more than enough grounds to begin a romantic relationship," One returned with both bitterness and defeat.

Two hummed thoughtfully, "I'm not sure if that's exactly true…" Curiosity nibbled at Two's restraint. "What would you look for in a mate?" One looked to Two abruptly, raising a brow is suspicion. Two response was a curious tilt of the head.

One gave a slow exhale and began to reveal, "I would… Look for three things in particular. Intelligence would be important, along with refinement. I'm the leader, I couldn't court someone simply because they were a possible candidate, especially if they as dull and unappealing as a rusty pair of scissors." His comparison made the Inventor chuckle. "A female of our age could just waltz in out of the Emptiness, but if they are not fitting then I would be forced to pass."

"And what if we find an appealing pair of scissors in the Emptiness? Would you consider it then?" Two teased One just a small bit. Then he became a bit more serious. "And your third request? That they are a female of our age- or at least resembling our age?"

"Not at all. Realistically, we can't settle for only male and female relationships. If we did, very few of us would ever receive mates," One pointed out, as though defending his actions. "Age… No, to be entirely honest, I could never be romantically involved with one of the twins. I see them too much as children," he paused and continued when he noticed Two about to but in, "and I know they were created before the rest of them, but they still are children to me."

"What a shame, because I think they would match your quota," Two quipped back, further playing with the older.

One gave him a slight glare back. "Let's hear it then; what are your choices?" Two sobered immediately. "No, no. I want to hear what you look for in a mate, so spit it out."

Two hadn't really thought of it before. He sort of assumed that he would never find a mate; that the younger Stitchpunks were more likely to have mate. "Well…" Two began tentatively, humming in thought. "I… I want a mate who can keep me happy… Oh, that's too vague. Let me elaborate," he stepped out of the room, staring down into the throne room where Eight and Four were still practicing. By now, Six was watching with Three, and Two smiled at the scene.

"I want a mate who I can feel comfortable with. Who, even with my faults, makes me feel like I am as young as any of the others. Someone who I can play with and talk to…" Two's voice lowered, "Someone who I can lay down alongside in bed at night, and who I can talk to through those late hours until I drift off to sleep. I want those quiet moments." Two trailed off, fearing that he had said too much. He felt embarrassment creep in before One finally spoke.

"That… Would be nice." Two was shocked at how wistful One sounded in his tone. The mood shifted to an odd one; Two and One standing beside each other, talking about mates in an almost casual way. Two couldn't handle it; he had to overcompensate before his face would burst into light.

"But only if they're not too tall. Then we would look strange," Two quipped. For a moment he worried that he ruined it, that he should've ended it where he was, but then One did something unexpected. He chuckled and Two did so as well. He looked to Two, his optics full of mirth, and the Inventor felt his own smile widen on his face. It was perfect, this was perfect. It was almost overwhelming.

Goodness, Two felt strange.

"And the others?" One inquired in an almost playful fashion; playful for One. "Putting Eight and Four aside, which other could we pair together?" It was almost like a game to him and Two couldn't help but take the bait and join in.

"Well, let's see. I've noticed that Nine and Six have been spending quite some time together…"

* * *

Six didn't go into the watchtower without Nine and Five. Because of this, it was the perfect spot for Nine and Five to hide and then work on the easel that they wanted to gift to him. Though today things were a little different. While Nine crouched down to work on the easel right away, Five wandered over towards the spyglass and fiddled with it. After a few moments, he decided to speak, but didn't look back at his best friend.

"Hey…" Five began quietly as he continued to adjust the spyglass, "Do you… Do you notice something going on between One and Two?"

Nine looked upwards with confusion, "What do you mean? I think they were just going to talk."

"No, other than that," Five firmly stated. "Don't you notice that… One's been calling Two away a lot more frequently to 'talk'. I mean, I thought it wasn't anything at first, but it's only getting more common." The thought confused the apprentice. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with his mentor spending so much time with the leader, especially after the dispute with going out to save him. Five didn't still hold that again One, mostly because of how Two reacted and how One shaped his behavior afterwards, but he did feel a growing concern about this change in behavior.

"What do you think is going on?" Nine questioned curiously, wanting Five to be more open.

"I…I think something is going on… Like courting. What if One's starting to court Two?" Nine stared blankly for a moment. "…Courting is when a Stitchpunk tries to appease another Stitchpunk until they become mates. It's… Romantic."

"Romantic?!" Nine suddenly caught on to everything. "You think One and Two are romantic?! Five, I don't know how to tell you this, but that's not the case. That… That can't be the case." Suddenly Nine's voice lost its confidence in what it was saying.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting…" Five admitted. Now thinking about it, it could've been nothing. Having Nine say it back to him made him suddenly doubt his own claim, just by how crazy it sounded. It was then that his worry about Two turned to curiosity towards Nine. "Have, uh… Have you ever had feelings like that for someone?"

To be honest, Nine was still getting used to the process of making relationships. So his noncommittal answer of, "I'm not really sure," wasn't too surprising to the one-eyed male. "What about you?"

"Well… Yeah…" Five felt embarrassment rise just admitting it. "I, uh… A long time ago I had feelings for Seven… They didn't work out." He noticed that Nine was now staring him down in surprise and he explained. "I wasn't in love with her. I just… I started having feelings for her, but they went away on their own." He explained in his defense.

Nine seemed more curious that anything. Even he had passing feelings for Seven, though he hadn't noticed them in quite some time, oddly enough. He had been so distracted with Six and the Machine, and life in general that he hadn't focused on those lingering feelings towards her. "Did something happen?"

"No… Well, yeah, sort of, but not really," Five excused. He turned to work on the spyglass again. "I just… I noticed that she didn't seem interested in me. Not in a way like that, at least. I didn't want to risk our friendship…" He paused in his motions, considering saying something to his friend. "…To be honest, I started getting the feeling that the only reason I was pining for Seven was because I wanted to be."

"What does that mean?" Nine asked and wanted more clarification.

"Seven was a good friend and almost like a sister to me," Five explained. "I started to wonder if… Maybe I only wanted to be with Seven because I wanted to be with someone, and you shouldn't have a relationship because of that. You can't pretend that you love someone because you want to be in love." He shot Nine a playful smile. "I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic."

This got a chuckle out of Nine, which led to one by Five. The mood shifted back to the more joyous one and Five seemed to wave the conversation off. Though this changed rather quickly as the one-eyed male then asked, "How are things with Six?"

Normally this would sound innocent enough, but something about the abruptness made Nine focus in. Almost as though Five's topic led into the question about Six. "Umm… Great! You've seen him, he's not spending all his time drawing, so I think that's a…Plus. Why?"

Five smiled back at him before going to look through the spyglass. "Just checking. You've been spending so much time with Six that it's worth asking you. By now you're practically-… It's Seven." His voice was full of surprise and Nine looked confused. Five turned back to him, surprise but happiness on his voice, "Seven and Cat are coming!"

Nine scrambled to his feet. "Really? You saw them both?!"

"Yes! They're coming this way now!" Five looked back through spyglass once again. "We could probably meet them at the door if we hurry down there."

That was all he had to say. Nine sprung into the lift, Five following, and they lowered down into the sanctuary. One and Two were distracted talking and barely noticed when the two hurried down the stairs and to the bucket lift. Six and Three watched them board and lower down the shaft. It didn't take too long before Nine and Five arrived at ground level. They then bounded out and managed to make it to the doorway before the two appeared.

They didn't have to wait long until Seven and Cat entered the cathedral. The warrior was surprised to see them waiting there, but couldn't help but smile at them. "I didn't expect to see you two here. Six forewarn you of us coming?" Seven asked playfully.

"Actually, it was Five with the spyglass," Nine pointed out and gestured to his friend who raised a hand in greeting. "I… I didn't think you were coming back yet," Nine pointed out quietly. Then he looked to Cat in confusion, "And I thought you were still here."

Cat gave a metallic chuckle and Seven shrugged as her answer. "I don't intend to stay too long, but I had to make sure Cat actually got home this time." She sent the former beast a look. It was slightly frisky, but there was also something else lingering there. Almost thankful or perhaps reassuring in a way. In response, Cat gave her a look of piqued interest, wondering what exactly she was thinking under her dismissal.

"Come on in! The others will be glad to see you, especially the twins," Five encouraged as he beckoned them back towards the bucket lift. Seven steadied herself, Cat took hold of the crank, Five continued to smile at them both, and Nine, while happy, had a new thought reappear. He was glad that Seven was back; it reassured her safety to him. However, he was equally glad that Cat had appeared, as he still had plenty of questions to ask him concerning the machine.

They would come in due time. For now, it was time to raise back into the sanctuary.

* * *

 **Mable: And there goes all of 9's sensibility. If Cat can keep his self-control, though, nothing bad should happen… Oh dear.  
Anyway, the next chapter will be posted once I can get it finished! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	18. Chapter 18: Seeking Answers

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! I won't delay with needless babbling and will instead go ahead with the posting. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Eighteen: Seeking Answers_

Nine wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Especially since Six was stuck at his side and Cat was constantly in Two's shadow, helping him carry some map making tools. Neither Six nor Two would react well to knowing that Nine was intending on asking more about the machine. His curiosity was too insatiable, and it was obvious that the others weren't above keeping information from him. He couldn't help but wonder what else he didn't know. That aside, he didn't want to worry the others or put them in danger.

Especially not Six, who had warned him repeatedly of the looming danger. Nine couldn't help but feel like he was betraying him. With a growing guilt, Nine sighed and reached out, petting over Six's back and number. The Artist looked over in surprise before getting a sweet smile. The two of them were sitting on the steps in front of the throne together, the others were sprawled around the sanctuary, with Six surprisingly not drawing. In fact, with his focus back on Nine he wanted to instead talk.

"What are you thinking about?" Six asked curiously as he pulled his legs against his chest in a comfortable motion, leaning further towards the zippered male.

"Nothing in particular," Nine answered in an attempt to shrug it off. He looked around the sanctuary with a hum before offering, "Want to do something?"

Six cocked his head with a growing smile of eagerness. "Sure! Like… Like what, a game?"

Nine hoped a game would smother his growing questions. "A game would be great. It's a bit quiet here anyway." It wasn't usual for him to not have anything to do in the afternoon. Something to distract him would certainly help. "I'm still new to games. Do you have one in mind?"

"Yes!" Six recoiled at his own over eagerness. "It's called Hide and Seek. One of us hides while the other counts, then we look to find them. I haven't played this game since… Wow… When the twins and Seven lived here with us." He was shocked at his own revelation and quickly stood. "Should I go see if the twins want to play?"

"Sounds like a great idea to me," Nine agreed and watched as Six hurried off to find the scholars in question. Now Nine was left alone and his optics wandered over towards Cat and Two. Two was distracted with the cauldron for the moment, so Nine stood and wandered over towards Cat. He caught the male's arm and murmured to him lowly, "Cat, we need to talk. We'll meet tonight in the workshop." Without another word, Nine drew away and approached the steps again. Almost in an instant he regretted his decision.

" _What am I doing?! Why can't I just get over this?!"_ he mentally asked and collapsed on the steps. He felt overwhelmingly weariness. _"I'll just ask Cat a few last questions and then… If I'm not sated, then I can go back to the Scientist's Workshop. Then that'll be the end of it."_ His thoughts cut off as Six started towards him again. Nine attentively stood and approached the artist expectantly, noticing that he was alone. "They didn't want to join in?"

"I couldn't even find them," Six admitted with slight embarrassment. "And I think Five's back in the watchtower. Do you mind if it's just us?" Of course, he didn't; not when Six had that tiny smile as he absentmindedly rubbed his key with his right hand.

"Maybe that's best until I play the game a couple of times," Nine suggested and clasped a hand on Six's shoulder. "Where do you want me?"

"Oh- Hiding," Six managed to get out, glancing to Nine's hand with a continuing smile. "You can hide first and I'll count. You don't have long to find a good spot," he warned with his smile growing slyer. "I'm actually pretty good at this game. When I find you, I'll try to run back to here- to the throne, which will be base. If I get here, I win. If you tag me before I get here, we switch roles. If I can't find you and give up, you win. Understand?"

Nine liked how competitive Six was becoming. He wasn't sure why, but it brought out his own playfulness more and more. He nodded in agreement. "I think I've got it. Maybe we should stick to hiding in the sanctuary; if we have to use the lift then it's not usable."

"Okay!" Six agreed and hurried to stand by the empty throne. "I'm only counting to twenty, so you should hurry and hide," he suggested before covering his face and beginning the process of counting down. Nine quickly hurried off to find a suitable hiding place in the allotted space.

His first choice was remarkably obvious; his and Five's shared bedroom. Nine hurried inside and soon fixed himself upon Five's bed, and then slid underneath it. It didn't take very long before Six found his way into the room. Soon he dropped to the floor, peered under the bed, and gave a smile of immediate delight. "Found you."

Before Nine could react, Six scrambled to his feet and began to sprint out of the room. Nine tried to get out from under the bed quickly, but he had no chance to catch Six. The artist was probably at the throne before Nine could even leave his room. Unfortunately, his luck didn't change once it was him searching for Six. He had guessed correctly that Six would hide in his own room and found him tucked behind his curtain. The moment Nine pushed open the curtain, Six was sprinting towards him, and even though Nine tried to run he almost instantly had the artist clinging to his back.

Finally, it came down to the third game and Nine was becoming more determined than ever to win at least one. Previously Six had gotten an advantage at being prepared, but now it was time for the zippered male to show what he could do. To show that he had learned enough to win at least one game. This time Nine made a smarter decision on his hiding place. He hid in the cabinet in Two's room and waited for the striped male to eventually find him. It took a little while; the artist could be heard walking around the halls as he sought out the other Stitchpunk.

Eventually Six narrowed himself down to Two's room and his mismatched optics fixed upon the cabinet. Nine was already waiting for him; he braced himself and prepared for the doors to open. Then, suddenly, they did. Six threw open the cabinet and immediately turned to run, but Nine followed on his heels. By time they were in the hallway, Nine managed to grab Six around the middle, effectively stopping his escape to the throne room. Six broke into a fit of giggles at his capture and Nine followed suit as he literally swept the artist off his feet.

For a moment it was strictly a fun and innocent experience. That was, until Six turned his head back. Until he rested his head against Nine's chest enough to look upwards at him. It was only now that Nine really took in the height difference between them, and he followed with giving a lopsided smile. It all suddenly felt different; it didn't feel like a game any longer. Still, Nine pulled Six closer and rested his head on Six's soft yarn. It only felt better to know that Six was fully supportive of the touches. He wanted Nine to hold him like this, so he did.

But it couldn't last forever.

The game lasted further into the afternoon before he joined Six in drawing. He spent as much time with Six as he could throughout the day, wanting to do so, and only separated to briefly tag along with Two and Five. Two took Nine and Five out onto the roof of the Cathedral and explained to Nine about the plane lodged in the roof, and how this single wreckage gave them what electricity they had. Nine found it amazing that something as simple as wind could provide them with lights in their home.

But that couldn't last forever either. By time nightfall came, Nine felt his anticipation growing for his meeting with Cat. He tried to hide it, but he had a feeling that Five noticed how unfocused he had been. He wasn't sure what time it was when he saw Cat go down in the lift, but some of the others were preparing for bed and Seven had yet to leave for the Library. Nine waited to go down to the workshop. First, he addressed Six, who was starting to look more and more tired as he drew.

"Six, why don't you go to bed? You're exhausted," Nine pointed out in disturbance. Not just from the coming meeting, but because Six was looking rather tired. He expected a struggle, but to his surprise Six started to stand.

"I think that's okay," Six groggily murmured and rubbed his face. He yawned into his large hand. "The more I sleep the more I get tired."

"That's good! That means your body's starting to get comfortable with sleeping normal hours," Nine encouraged with a proud smile.

"I guess…" Six looked over to the taller. "Will you stay with me tonight?" Nine didn't know how to respond at first.

"Uh… Sure! I'm not really- Not too tired just yet," he awkwardly admitted as he rubbed his arm. "Why don't you get started? I'll be there in a couple of minute once I do a few things." This seemed to pacify the artist enough that he nodded and started into his room. The zippered male watched him leave before heading to the bucket lift.

When Nine stepped into the Workshop, he could see Cat standing over by the workbench, studying a talisman drawing that Two left out on the workshop. He absentmindedly flicked at the curling edge of the paper with his claws as he waited for Nine to enter the room. The zippered male noticed the paper and felt a heavier weight inside of him, wondering what all of this had to do with the talisman.

"I'm here," Nine announced, stepping into the room and shutting the curtain behind him. "And we're alone." Cat let out a quiet noise of agreement. "I need to know more. It's driving me insane," Nine admitted with a huff. "And you can talk better now. I need you to tell me what you can."

"What do you want me to say?" Cat asked back. The wording was odd, but he was welcoming in his tone. Cat was ready to talk and Nine was ready to listen.

"About the Machine," Nine began and paused a moment to collect his thoughts. "…What really happened to it?"

"He shut down."

"I know that much. I meant what shut it down?" Nine clarified further as he sat down on a stool.

"Don't know," Cat shrugged off relatively easily. "He just stopped."

Silence passed between the two of them. Then Cat looked over with increased interest and started to walk closer. "Hey…" The former beasts began again as he stopped beside the zippered male. He leaned in a little closer and Nine could see a sort of eagerness on his face. He couldn't tell if he was giving a small smirk or if it was just a normal smile that happened to look a little too culpable. "I can show you him."

"…What?" Nine looked upwards at him in confusion.

"He's still there at the factory. Want to go see him?" Cat seemed a little too eager to see the Machine that had destroyed the world. However, Nine didn't suspect him of any ill intention. He had learned over his time with Cat that he tended to treat things differently; he remembered his pride at seeing the Machine. In a way, Cat had to feel towards the Machine like Nine felt towards the Scientist, or that's what the zippered male assumed.

"I don't know. It could be dangerous. It was dangerous when Five and I went," Nine forced out. He wanted to see it, he wanted to explore, but he felt cautiousness nagging at the back of his mind. He didn't want to risk the others, or himself, getting hurt. "Why? Do you want to go?"

"It's been too long. I need to check him," Cat explained as he shifted his helmet. For a split second, Cat's sureness dropped and a look of actual worry passed his face. "I don't want to see him alone."

"You know, if you told Two-." Nine started to explain that Two would take him. Nine had no doubt Two would want to take him and, if that was the case, maybe a group of them could go together. He would feel a lot more confident in going if he knew that Seven and possibly Eight would be accompanying them. He didn't even get the suggestion out before Cat's claw was on his shoulder, stopping him.

"They can't know," Cat stated as he looked down to Nine with a surprisingly serious look. "They won't get it." Nine didn't know if he believed this, but he knew at least one Stitchpunk who would be suspicious.

"No, I understand it… It's the same reason I don't want to ask the others about the Machine. I just- You've got to understand why they're scared. The Machine led the war against the humans. It's… It's a risk if he does ever wake up again," Nine explained, hoping that the other would understand.

Cat's face turned grim. "He's not going to wake up." He pulled away, walking over towards the cot and climbing onto it, tiredly stretching out on his back and draping an arm over his face. "I'm not going to even try anymore. There's no point."

Nine's reaction to hearing Cat admit that he was trying to previously awaken the Machine was sudden. A jolt of overwhelming foreboding spread along his spine and his optics slowly shrunk in his shock. He had a feeling the Cat Beast had been doing something in that factory, but now the beast himself confirmed it, and it could've been catastrophic. He couldn't even imagine what they would do if the Machine was awoken again. It would probably create more beasts, countless more, and the somewhat safer Emptiness would be again thrown into chaos.

"Why?" Nine choked out. He didn't even know what he was asking.

Cat made his own assumption and answered, "Can't risk it now. I can't trust what he'll do." He gave a tired huff and reach up with his free hand, trying to bat at the scissors and such that hung above.

"But… You still want to go back," Nine pointed out in a slightly questioning tone. He looked back to Cat who took a few moments to answer.

"…I have to go back and check him. That's it," Cat finished with an absolution in his tone. He then looked to Nine with curiousness, "Are you coming?"

For a moment Nine didn't know whether to say yes or no. He wanted to go, he wanted to learn more, and Cat was offering this to him. "…Alright," Nine agreed. "I'll go with you, but only on a few conditions." He stood and approached the cot, making sure that the taller being was looking at him. "We stick together through the entire trip, we don't stay too long, and we don't...We aren't going to attempt to wake the Machine. Is that a deal?"

"Yes," Cat responded with his smile from some time ago returning. The simple answer revealed full compliance.

"Okay…" Nine gave a nod and looked towards the floorboards for a moment. Then he had his plan. "We'll go to sleep now and wake early in the morning, before the others. Then we'll walk there and be back before they've been awake long. The others will just think we were scouting." Cat agreed to the idea and both raised in the bucket lift together.

Back in the Sanctuary, Cat headed to his own bed to slumber while Nine took Six's offer and approached his bedroom again. As he pushed open the canvas of the painted curtain, soft candlelight filtered into the space and landed on Six's petite bed, where he was already curled into a tight ball and fast asleep. The zippered male sighed before stepping in and letting the curtain close behind him. Other than accidently kicking an ink well, though thankfully it didn't tip over, Nine managed to make it to the bed and crawled in beside Six.

It took a few moments to fall asleep, as Nine couldn't help but think about the trip to the factory. Hopefully they wouldn't find out what they were going to do. He tightened his arm around the striped male and pulled him closer to his chest; it helped him ease to sleep.

* * *

Nine awoke to sharp fingers tapping on his shoulder. "Ugh… Six?" he grumbled out as he tiredly turned back. Instead he came face to face with Cat.

"Morning," Cat greeted before his right optic suddenly alit in a piercing light.

"Gah! Cat!" Nine tried to keep his voice down as he shielded his face with one arm and pushed Cat's shoulder back with the other. "You're going to wake up Six," he whispered further and looked over to checked on the striped male. However, Six seemed to be in a dead sleep, and the zippered male slowly climbed out of bed before following the taller out through the curtain.

"We're wasting daylight," Cat pointed out as he sauntered forward a few steps forward before turning to face Nine, arms casually crossed. All it took was one glance towards the clock face and windows to notice the dim light coming through the glass.

"I wouldn't call that daylight," Nine observed in a slightly grouchy way.

"It will be, so we're not wasting it," Cat quipped in response and continued to the bucket lift. "Come on."

Nine paused to look back at Six's curtain, then raised a hand, "Hold on." He hurried off to get one of Two's writing utensils, then brought out an inkwell, and quickly jotted a note onto a scrap of paper. _"6, I'm going out into the Emptiness with Cat to explore. I won't be gone too long, so don't worry about me. If 5 and 2 ask, tell them where I went please. I'll be home soon!"_ He left the note on the floor before heading back out.

"Alright, I'm ready to…" Nine cut off before he boarded the lift. "…Hold on another second. I'll be right back." He headed off towards the room he shared with Five while Cat, somewhat impatiently, waited in the lift. Nine didn't knew what drew him to the decision he was about to make, but he was there even before he could resist; bringing out the talisman. He hid it in his front and decided not to tell Cat that he had it. He just wanted to keep in close, as though something about it would protect him from the Machine.

"Nine?" Nine flinched as Five's groggy voice appeared. The one-eyed male sat upwards in bed and looked towards his friend. "What are you doing?"

"I'm…" Nine hesitated before explaining. "I'm going out to scout a little bit. I'll be back in a while." As he went to grab his Lightstaff, Five shifted in bed further. "Alone? Want me to go with you?" He was sounding much more concerned about Nine leaving alone. However, the zippered male had no intention to go alone.

"No, I'm fine. I'm going with Cat. Go back to sleep, okay?" Nine suggested with a smile before heading to the door.

"Okay…" Five's voice was hesitant, as though he was about to protest. However, he did lay back down on the bed, and seemed to return to sleep once again. Nine smiled before edging out the door and finally heading to the bucket lift, prepared to leave.

While Nine originally didn't agree with Cat on the light situation, by time the long hike was almost over, the sun had started to raise and beam down over the Emptiness. By now, Nine no longer needed to use his Lightstaff, but still enjoyed using it like a walking stick. This time was easier than walking with Five, though only because Nine recognized where they were going. Though he most likely wouldn't have remembered on his own without the careful guidance of Cat, who knew the trail by heart.

The factory felt much more oppressive this time around. There was nobody being kept inside, no heroic reason to break into its depths. It was just dark and empty, and waiting to swallow anyone who dared venture inside. This didn't stop Nine from his journey, but it did make him briefly consider why he was so determined to go. Tightening his grip on his Lightstaff, they headed inside and back to the main room.

"Take a look," Cat pointed out as he quickly climbed the metal rubble and stopped at a familiar form. There laid the Cat Beast's body… Or technically, the Cat Beast's old body. Cat looked over it curiously as Nine climbed up to him and began to study it as well. He could see the details of the Beast much closer and only now could see how unalike the beasts were to the Stitchpunks. Which was already evident, but their parts were entirely different.

"How does it feel looking at your own body?" Nine asked as he watched Cat move closer to the head.

"Don't know…" Cat admitted as he stared down at what used to be himself. "Didn't think anything before… Feels different now, but- eh." The moment of deep thought was abruptly shrugged off as the male looked over the body. "Kind of weird looking at myself," he added in before looking in closer.

"I can imagine," Nine admitted with a smile. "…Do you wish you could go back?"

"Nah," Cat responded. "Not gonna miss nights in here. It gets cold, wet." He did genuinely sound like he meant what he said and he continued poking at his body. "He's under the banner."

"H- Oh…" Nine caught himself quickly and gave a cough. "Thanks, I- uh- I'll go check him out." He passed by Cat and approached the large mass underneath the tarp-like banner. The former beast stayed behind so that he could crouch down and continue studying his old face. He slid down into a ravine between the rubble, where he had seen the Cat Beast digging some time ago. It only made sense that the Machine would be down there. It was down there that he noticed something unexpected.

It looked to be some part of a massive machine, most likely the Fabrication Machine itself, but the part that Nine was staring at had a slot in it. It was circular shape with three pronged slots coming out from it, like it fit…

He unzipped himself and brought out the Talisman to compare it to the slot. It looked like it would fit. Nine brought it closer, intent on studying it to make sure it was exact. That being it said, he had no intention of putting it in. "It… It fits? Why would the Talisman go here?" He moved it a little closer.

" _ **Hey!"**_

Nine jumped in alarm at Cat's sudden call and looked back. "I wasn't going to put it in!" He defended before watching as the male slid down the slope and stormed over to him. Cat was clearly not pleased.

"What were you think-," Cat was mid-way yanking the Talisman back, planning on taking them away, when he stopped in place. He stared ahead at the slot in alarm, mouth agape.

"…Cat?" Nine asked in confusion. There was no answer and he briefly looked to the slot and back, "Cat, what's going on?" Cat's optics slowly stared to widen. It was once they continued past the point of normal widening that Nine knew something was wrong. He tried to pull the Talisman away, but Cat's claws had now tightened on it.

Then Cat's optics illuminated in red and his focus was completely gone. He took a step forward and Nine knew what was happening. In a panic, he tried to fight with the male. "Cat, snap out of it!" he called in a panic. He struggled to yank at the Talisman, which was slowly moving closer to the slot. "What are you doing?! You don't want to do this!" He placed his hand on the bottom of the Talisman, trying to push it back. "I'm not letting you do this! Cat, get ahold of yourself!" Yet the look on Cat's face was one of an empty trance.

The Talisman was closer to the slot. It inched further in. "Cat, stop!" Nine begged further.

Then, suddenly, there was a low chattering noise. Cat snapped out of the trance partially; his eyes still red as he looked back. Nine looked behind him as well and stood in horror. There, atop the mound of rubble, was a Beast. Neither knew where it had come from, as neither had heard or seen it before this moment, but it leered down at them. It stood shorter than the Cat Beast and was bipedal instead of on fours. Attached to both hands and arms were long, metal drills, and its head was an animal skull, though smaller than a feline's by far.

Its red eye stared down at the two beings standing below it and it let out a metallic shriek of a noise. Cat stared back and, still somewhat lost in the red, responded with a growl of discontentment.

This was all the warning that Nine got before the beast leapt down upon them.

* * *

 **Mable: Don't you love when you're being stalked by a beast and don't realize it until the last moment? Ah, I smell a rat… Or would that be a Rat Stalker, instead? In case you didn't know, the Rat Stalker was a beast planned for the video game that never was. Concept art can be found on DA, but for now… This behemoth has cornered our cat and has 9 under its gaze. It can only go downhill from here… Literally.  
I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be posted as soon as I can finish it!**


	19. Chapter 19: Fabrication

**Mable: I actually didn't expect to be updating this story today. ^-^ However, I ran into a burst of inspiration last night and managed to roll through 3,000 words before I knew it! That being said, I don't necessarily think this chapter is rushed… Because it's been a long time coming.  
I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Nineteen: Fabrication_

The Rat Stalker jumped down into the trench and Cat dashed towards it without a hitch. He bared his claws and pounced upon its head. As it was hunched over, this wasn't too difficult of a feat. While the beast was smaller than the Cat Beast had been, and hunched over in a bulky way, it showed its speed immediately. It rolled its body and thrashed its drills back, trying to catch Cat. Right as Cat had its skull head tilted back, with its vulnerable neck is view and his claw poised for attack, it managed to clamp its drills around his body.

Then it yanked its arms forward and threw Cat heavily to the floor. He skidded a small bit, but recovered enough to lift his head and see the Rat Stalker rearing back its drill. Cat rolled back out of the way, then rolled again in a backwards summersault as the other drill came down after him again. Nine noticed the scene and dropped the Talisman. He kicked it back out of the way and under a slab of metal, hoping that the Beast wouldn't see it. Then he turned on his Lightstaff and took a few steps forward.

As hoped, the Rat Slasher flinched back at the light caused by the staff. It then looked over at the zippered male with a renowned interest and a hiss thorough its sharp teeth. It lumbered to him with surprising speed and swatted with its drill. Nine tried to pull his Lightstaff back to block his body. One of the drill's rungs managed to catch the Lightstaff and with the force of the swing knocked it to his ground. Nine reacted immediately by turning and beginning to run out of the way. He hoped to draw attention away from the Talisman.

This seemed to work a small amount as the Rat Slasher scampered after Nine and struck him back with the drill. The Stitchpunk was flung against the Machine's unmoving body and briefly crumpled to the floor. He would've fully been attacked if it weren't for Cat suddenly jumping in front of him, taking attention, and leaping onto the Rat Slasher once again. They wrestled for only a few moments before the Rat rolled over and managed to pin Cat to the ground on his front, planting its foot on his back. He tried to claw himself out from under its hold.

The Rat Slasher planted its drill against the back of Cat's skull helmet. Then the drill began to spin, burrowing into the bone helmet and prepared to drill right into Cat's core. Nine tried to rush forward, but before he could-

A pale form landed upon the Rat Slasher's back; stabbing its spear into the beast's shoulder. The Rat Slasher shrieked and stumbled a few steps back, trying to knock the drills back against the figure. The Stitchpunk grabbed ahold of one of the drills and swung around on it before kicking the beast in its face. It shrieked again and swung forwards. The Stitchpunk leapt off and rolled on the ground to brace her fall.

Nine was thrilled to see Seven while Cat just looked dumbstruck. She knelt next to him, trying to coax him to his feet. "Get up and out of the way," she commanded and followed by looking to the approaching Rat Slasher. Before it could move in, something suddenly struck it in the back and caused it to wobble. As it turned around, Nine was able to see the needle protruding out of its shoulder and leading a thread rope. He followed it to the top of the rubble where Five stood with his harpoon and Two stood with his lance.

"Five, Two!" Nine called in complete relief. They had been saved by their friends who had somehow followed them. He didn't know how they knew to follow them, but he suspected that it had something to do with Five waking while he was getting the Talisman.

The Rat Slasher started trying to swat at the rope attached to him while Five suddenly dashed backwards, using his own weight to tug at the Beast. The Rat Slasher stumbled slightly before managing to hook its drill on the thread and yanking it down. The needle slid out and Five nearly fell forward, caught at the last second by Two. Now free, the Rat Slasher turned back on the others, and Seven reacted by raising her spear. It swung its drill forward and Seven ducked out of the way before slicing at its leg. The Beast stumbled before falling to its knees.

Seven was on its back in a heartbeat. The beast caught her with the drills and swung her around before throwing her off to the side. Before she could hit the rubble, Cat jumped out to catch her, and both fell in a heap a few steps away. Then the Rat seemed to freeze in its crouch. For a moment, the Stitchpunks thought it had been stunned, but Cat's cry revealed that this wasn't the case. "Don't let him get it!"

It was then that Nine noticed that the Rat was staring directly at the Talisman. It had been hidden enough when it was standing, but at the angle and position it was close enough to see. Nine dove for the Talisman and the Rat dove atop him. The zippered male tried to slide by and out of the Rat's grasp, but it was determined, and Seven rushed over to stab the beast in the side. It swung at her and while she ducked to dodge, it brought its teeth down on the Talisman.

"Ah!" Nine cried out as a tooth bore down on his hand and pushed it free. It had hit the metal and not damaged it, but the pain was sudden. Then the Rat turned and hurried to the port with the Talisman tightly clutched in its mouth. "No! Don't let it put that inside!" Nine commanded as he sprung to the feet and ran after it. He tried to block off the beast's way, grabbing ahold of the Talisman and wrestling it away. However, this wasn't Cat's reluctant hands, but instead the willing skull of the Rat Slasher.

It stabbed a drill into the metal behind Nine and worried nothing about damaging the unmoving machine as it started to drill. Nine flinched forward and ducked down to try and yank the Talisman away, but in the last second his grip slipped. To his horror, the Talisman struck metal and was slid around until it slipped eagerly into the slot. It was a perfect fit as it clicked into place. Nine, stuck under it, stared in horror as the Rat Slasher looked to him. Suddenly it wanted him for something and trapped him on the other side with its free drill.

The Talisman suddenly opened and began to emanate a green light from its core. A pulsing light circulated in it and Nine suddenly had a feeling of danger. Then, before the Rat Slasher could do anything else, Cat was on his head. Both of their red optics glowed as the Beast stumbled and the former beast bit onto its neck. His claws dug in tighter as he made up for his lack of strength. Hidden teeth slid out and bit into the wires as Cat suddenly slung his body up and over the Rat's shoulder.

There was a sudden crack. The Rat Slasher stumbled, its head slanted at an odd angle, and then it fell back onto its back. Its red optics went dim and Cat stood before it victorious, wires clenched in his mouth.

"Nine, run!" Five called down to the zippered male. Jolted out of his staring, Nine looked back to the open Talisman before running towards Seven and the others. Out of nowhere, the Talisman clamped shut again, and right as Nine arrived at Seven's side there was a low shudder. It was hard to explain it, but something in the room just shuddered, and Nine felt it course through his body. He looked back towards the Talisman and hulking form in horror as Seven started to climb the slope and Five started to come down.

Then a red light suddenly appeared above the Talisman. It only took a few seconds for Nine to recognize a massive optic. It was the machine.

The machine was waking.

Turning around, Nine gave a cry of, "Run!" He then continued to scramble to his allies. Five grabbed his hand and pulled him onto level ground, but even that was suddenly challenged as something started to raise under the metal. The mound of rubble fell back, taking Five and Nine down the slope in a stumbling heap. Two and Seven managed to use their lance and spear to brace themselves. The Warrior looked down towards Cat who was staring in awe at the raising, hulking figure that was blocked by a fabric sheet.

"Cat!" Seven called out to him. Cat broke his trance to look back at her, but then shrugged back at the sight of a bone falling off the nearby mound and coming at him. He ducked out of the way and vanished without a trace. The Warrior continued to look for him, but was cut off by Two grabbing her shoulder.

"We must escape! Cat can get away!" Two encouraged her and she nodded slowly. Two was more than confident in Cat's ability to slip away and tried to lead Seven down the slope. Suddenly something burst out and knocked the rest of the mound over, causing Seven to slide and Two to roll. At the bottom, Five and Nine rushed in to help Two to his feet.

"This way!" Seven called to the three and began to run towards a downed conveyor belt. Hopefully they would be able to climb it and slip out of one of the many holes in the factory's walls. They followed behind, with Nine sprinting while Five was running a little slower and nearly dragging Two by the arm. Somehow, the older Stitchpunk just barely managed to keep up with the younger three. Though their escape was abruptly hit by a dead end when the conveyor belt dropped off.

It was at this moment when the Machine finally revealed itself. The four looked over just in time to see it tear the insignia banner off its body, revealing its malicious glory underneath. It looked almost exactly like it had in the material that the twins showed them. Many arms clenched and unclenched as it shuddered, its optic flickering as it came to alertness. While it was still in the process of waking, it had clearly noticed them as its optic was trained in their direction.

In a panic, Five started to pull out his harpoon and Seven, noticing a lever nearby, realized that they could use Five's weapon for a better result. She pulled his arm around and steered him into firing his bundle of hooks towards the lever. Thankfully it caught on securely and Seven proceeded to yank Nine and Two over, the latter giving a gasp of, "Brilliant!" Though even Two seemed terrified as they took a few steps and leapt off.

"Jump!" Seven called in a command while Five gave a yell of terror as they swung across; Seven to his right, Nine to his left, and Two clinging to his back. They had almost made it across when the lever suddenly yanked down. Seven dropped off of Five immediately and plummeted towards the oil barrel below, catching herself on a metal edge jutting out. Nine lost his grip as well, but missed the edge and struck a metal bar, breaking his fall, before landing in a heap on the ground. It was still an extremely heavy fall and he couldn't help but groan in pain.

Five was the only one who landed securely on the conveyor belt. He righted himself just in time to look back, see Two clinging to the edge of the conveyor, and watch him start to slide off. "Two!" He cried as he started to run towards him. At this moment, the conveyor suddenly jolted on, but instead of pulling Two on the movement only loosened his grip and he began to fall. Thankfully, Nine saw Two's situation a moment before he plummeted and ran over to try and catch him. The inventor stuck him hard and Nine fell on his backside with Two on his front.

The Machine started to move in and, seeing the Fabrication Machine's interest in the area where his friends and mentor was, Five made a bold move. "Over here!" he called out and waved his arms as the belt started to whisk him away. "I'm over here! I- Gah!" He barely jumped out of the way as a heavy hunk of machinery landed beside him. In a panic, he started to run and soon the red light was cast over him as the Machine moved closer. Five's diversion worked and suddenly the Fabrication Machine was fully focused on him.

Seven jumped down beside Nine and Two. "We have to get it away from Five!" she now commanded to them and began to search for a distraction. It didn't take long before Nine looked to his Lightstaff.

"We can use my staff! I can- I can run and hide over that way! It'll get the Machine away from Five while keeping it away from you. Then I'll sneak around and we'll all escape!" Nine explained to the two of them.

"I can run faster. Give it to me," Seven insisted and outstretched her hand.

"Protecting Two is more important. I-." Nine cut off as he heard a cry and looked over to see Five fall from the conveyor belt. The Machine's optic was now directed on the healer as he tried to stumble to his feet and run off. It was already dogging him.

"Hey!" Nine called out, turning his Lightstaff on and running out into plain sight. "Fabrication! I'm over here! Come for me!" The Machine slowly swiveled its body around and stared down the zippered male. For a moment, he almost lost his nerve, but then remembered that it wanted Five. He steeled his gaze before turning to run away. After a few feet, he stopped to look back and make sure it was following him.

The Fabrication Machine made absolutely no attempt to follow Nine.

In fact, the moment that Nine had stopped, it started turning back around to look for Five. "No, stop!" Nine cried out as he tried to run closer to the machine. "Come back! Look at me!" Seven and Two could only watch in horror as it looked for Five.

Five had, at the last moment, had hidden behind a large hunk of concrete lodged in the dirt. He could see the Machine's red glow pass by and knew it was getting closer, but huddled into each other and shivered as the panic set it. It moved in closer, overturning metal and stone alike, searching for the creature that it had seen before. It was nearing the cement hunk and reached down, laying a claw on it, preparing to raise and reveal the doll. Five huddled in further and awaited what was about to come…

" _ **My Creator!"**_

The Fabrication Machine abruptly stopped in its movements. As though the words had magically spurned it into submission. They all recognized the voice and Nine, Seven, and Two looked over in alarm to see Cat standing in plain view, alongside his former body, which had been knocked over by the Machine's movements.

"What is he doing?!" Seven whispered in alarm as Nine scrambled to dash back to her and Two. All three of them stood out of the way and waited with baited breath. The Machine moved away from Five's hiding space and approached the being that had called for it.

" _Meng Schepfer…"_ Cat's voice was lower, but he could still he heard as the Fabrication Machine approached him closer.

"What did he say?" Nine asked as he looked to Two for answers.

"I think he repeated himself. I don't know, I don't know this language well. It's… It's close enough to German- Maybe if I could get a little closer…" Two gave a frustrated huff. "The one time One isn't here!" Though he then attentively looked over to Five's hiding place and exhaled in relief as the one-eyed male ran off towards the exit tunnel. "Five got away."

Cat dropped on a knee and bowed his head as the Fabrication Machine stared down at him. " _Ech ar Kaz. Ech ar affront Kaz."_

"He's a loyal… Cat, I believe. I think that's what he said," Two admitted in confusion as he focused in. He then continued to somewhat translate what he could.

" _I have changed my body. Look upon the old,"_ Cat gestured down at the remains of the beast body. _"But see my eyes. I am still loyal. I came here for you, for I am yours."_ It was staring intently. _"The war is over and the world is yours. Small things remain, a few small things, but the world belongs to you. They cannot hurt you again."_ With that, Cat rose, took a few steps closer, and began to talk a little lowlier to the massive form.

"I think he's saying that it's no longer bound to the factory. It…" Two slowly trailed off as he stared at the scene. His optics widened in a dramatic display of terror. "I… He's saying…" Suddenly he turned to Nine and Seven. "We need to leave this place."

"Without Cat?" Nine asked in alarm. "We can't leave him."

"We don't have a choice." Whatever Two heard, it had spooked him into fleeing. "We must go, now, before we're spotted."

It was at this moment that the Machine suddenly reached down and grabbed Cat's form. Fear briefly passed Nine and Seven's faces while hesitation passed Two. The Machine didn't injure Cat, however, and merely turned away from them to start searching something else. It soon moved to look for Five again and only once it turned away did Nine, Two, and Seven slip out. The Warrior hesitated in the tunnel, staring back inside at the Machine. She didn't want to abandon Cat, but she had no choice.

" _I'll come back for you,"_ she mentally promised before hurrying outside.

Five was waiting for them. "Oh, thank goodness!" he blurted out before running forward and hugging Two tightly. "You're all okay!"

"I could say the same thing!" Two responded as he hugged the younger back. "Five, you were so close-… What would I have done…? Oh Five…" As they recovered, a third voice broke in.

"This is all my fault," Nine blurted out in a sudden burst of anger towards himself. "Why did I even bring it? I… I woke that thing, I doomed Cat- how could I let this happen?" He was nearly frantic, but this quickly dropped as he crouched down on the ground, hanging his head forwards. "I'm sorry, guys. I really, really messed up."

"We need to get back to the cathedral," Two encouraged as he reached forward to pat Nine's head. "Hope is not lost, but we… We must warn the others." The fear was still on his face and suddenly Seven noticed the consistency in the inventor's behavior.

"Two, what did Cat tell the Machine?" Seven asked in a firmer tone. Nine suddenly paid more attention and stood again. Even Five was looking alarmed.

"…We need to get to the Sanctuary. Then I will tell you," Two reassured. "But I can't- We can't stay here. Trust me, Cat will be fine." They believed him enough that they followed with him. Even when a bellow of smoke burst out of a smokestack from the factory. It was starting to build once more.

* * *

As the four stepped off the bucket lift, they were immediately set upon. The twins rushed in to look over the group, Six hurried over in a panic, and One stormed over with Eight in tow. "And where have you four been?!" One demanded with haughtiness and suspicion on his features.

Seven decided to snap that haughtiness off his face. "The Machine awoke and turned on the factory."

There was this cold chill that spread through the room. One's sharp optics widened, the twins huddled back, and even Eight looked dumbstruck.

"No!" Six suddenly broke out as panic filled his features. "No, no, no, no, no! It can't be! No!" He grabbed his key with one hand and tugged at his yarn with the other. He looked inconsolable and Nine felt his heart break at the sight. "It's not supposed to- Not now! It's not supposed to be like this!" He shuddered in a frantic mess. Meanwhile, One noticed something else.

"Cat is not with you…" His hands tightened on his staff as his optics stayed dilated. "He betrayed us?"

"No. It wasn't Cat," Nine started to defend.

"Then what woke the Machine?!" One bellowed in questioning. "And where is Cat?! Why is he not here?!"

"Cat was taken by the Machine!" Nine protested further before his voice dropped to quietness. "We left him because we couldn't get to him… There was another beast that awoke the Machine, using the Talisman. It had drills on its arms-," Six's mantra of 'no, no, no' continued as he heard the Talisman being referenced. "It looked like a… A…" Nine suddenly trailed off, picturing the animal in mind but not finding the name. "Uh, you know, that smaller…" He looked back to the other three attentively, hoping someone would answer.

"Rodent," Seven clarified. "Some sort of rodent-like beast."

"It attacked all of us, but we managed to stop it. Not before it woke the Machine," Nine explained to the group. He felt a growing guilt and expected someone to point out that he took the Talisman, but they didn't.

Instead, One was frantic. "Years without the machine and now it has awoken, and now its gaze is set on us!" The leader was frantic as he looked around at the sanctuary. "It could send beasts here, it could flush us out- Have we worked all this time to be destroyed by a Walker in a moment's notice?!"

"That won't be happening," Two spoke with a heaviness in his tone. His face looked stern and his voice was forewarning; the inventor knew what was coming. "Cat was speaking to the Fabrication Machine and I don't believe it will be sending beasts after us."

"I highly doubt he convinced that monstrosity to just tolerate our presence," One growled to which Two shook his head.

"It won't be. The machine will be coming after us itself. Or, at least, the four of us that it knows exist." Two's face filled with worry as he looked to One. It was his worried tone and face that made One fall silent. He knew from this look alone that the inventor knew the weight of the situation. "Because Cat was trying to convince it to change its body like he had. Cat is currently trying to make the Machine into a Stitchpunk."

There was a looming silence in the Sanctuary.

" _Absolutely not!"_

"Absolutely yes! I know what I heard!" Two spoke back to the leader. "My Luxembourgish isn't perfect, but it is good enough."

"I'm not- I'm not _arguing_ with you, Two, but I will by struck down by lightning from the heavens before I let that _thing_ waltz in here as a Stitchpunk! That monster destroyed our world!" One pointed out venomously.

"Did you hear me suggesting that this was a good thing?" Two remarked back. "The fact that it is awake at all puts us in immediate danger. If Cat brings it back here, it will know everything. It will be completely able to launch a full attack, and unlike Cat I don't very well trust the Machine."

"Not after it turned against the humans, no," One agreed with him. "There is no trust. Save the trust in which I 'trust' that it will attempt to annihilate us. Cat, meanwhile, has shown his colors."

"Now, I still genuinely believe that Cat is innocent. Cat may not understand the gravity of this situation," Two tried to defend. Seeing the mentor struggling, Nine chimed in.

"While we were in there, Cat briefly lost control. He didn't attack and he was almost able to resist it, but… I think the Machine has influence over Cat. Cat might not have any choice in whether or not he trusts the machine." He looked downwards as the dreadful thought filled his mind. "He may be forced to adore the Machine, to force loyalty, and because his change worked for him he decided to offer it to the Machine."

"…That may be the case," Seven agreed in a surprisingly quiet tone. "Cat did seem so… Interested in the Machine when we were at the Library." She couldn't help but feel betrayed, even if there was the possibility that Cat was being controlled. It was his creator, so it should've made sense, but Seven couldn't silence the restless thoughts. He had chosen the machine over them and over her.

"Five, go to the watchtower and keep watch," One commanded with the same panic still present. "If Cat or anything else appears, you come straight down here and warn us."

Five nodded and started to head to the steps. Seven hurried after him, "I'll come with you." This wasn't just to give Five company. No, Seven wanted to keep an eye out for Cat, to see if he would come back to him. She didn't know if his appearance would signal and reunion or a fight, but Seven would be waiting for him. The warrior awaited his decision with baited breath.

She hoped, in a way, that the Machine could control Cat's decisions. Maybe then he could still be saved.

* * *

 **Mable: And in one instant, everything falls apart. What will Cat's decision be and who is he truly loyal to? All to be seen on the next chapter, which will be updated once I finish it. I hope you enjoyed!  
**


	20. Chapter 20: The Cat Came Back

**Mable: Unfortunately, home troubles led to this chapter being a few hours late, so I'm sorry it's counted on 'Monday' instead of 'Sunday'. XD I hope you enjoy the chapter none the less! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty: The Cat Came Back_

Nine didn't know how to approach Six. The Artist had retreated to his room shortly after Five and Seven had left. It was obvious that he was quite distraught. Though the others were too distracted to notice. Two and One were whispering to each other while the twins had followed Eight to his room to get his weapons. The zippered male tugged open the curtain and looked in at the striped Stitchpunk, who was now studying his sketches on the wall. He could hear Six muttering to himself as he looked over the pictures.

"Something must be wrong. No, no. Something- Something is wrong. I thought I saw it, but it wasn't like this!" Six murmured as he tried to understand why he had been wrong. Though he had not been wrong. Nine was beginning to suspect that the artist had anticipated exactly what happened.

"Six, try to calm down," Nine encouraged as he stepped in and approached the male. He stood behind him and laid his hands on his shoulders. "We're safe for the moment, and we're going to figure out what to do."

"Not enough, we- we're going to lose. The trench, I can't see the bottom," Six started to babble as he clutched his key and trembled in fear. "Why didn't I see it?"

"…It's not your fault, Six," Nine started hesitantly. He had to tell him the truth. "It's mine. I took the Talisman to the factory."

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Six slowly turned his head, "…What?"

"I just wanted to keep it nearby. I didn't plan on doing anything, but the beast got it away from me… It's my fault." Nine didn't anticipate what was coming next. The shorter male spun around abruptly and stared him down. The zippered male didn't expect the anger that flashed in the mismatched optics.

"I told you not to go! I told you to watch the source!" Six blurted out with fury in his voice. "Why- What were you thinking?!"

"I didn't know what was going to happen," Nine began, but Six interrupted him.

"I _told_ you what was going to happen!" He raised his arms into the air. "But you didn't listen to me! Everyone thinks I'm crazy, nobody listens to me, and then stuff like- like _this_ happens!" Six was very lucid and very angry, beginning to pace in frustration as the taller stood there in a remarkably submissive display. "I should've seen it coming! You, Two, Five, you all pretend to listen, but you don't! You just indulge my hope!" He turned on Nine again with clenching fists. "After I tried so hard to tell you- I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you!" Nine insisted as he reached forward. Six looked away, but Nine was able to take his arm. "I just needed to see it, but I didn't have any intention to wake the Machine. I didn't even think the Talisman would wake it!... And when we went in, Cat didn't want to wake him either." The artist still refused to look at him as he continued pouting. "You have to believe me, Six. I might have caused this, but I would've never willingly awoke it!" He almost needed the confirmation that Six believed him. "Do you… Do you understand?"

"…Yes," Six's face fell and his anger was replaced with worry. "I'm not angry at you… Okay, maybe a little, but I'm angrier at me." He turned, moving out of Nine's grasp as he wandered over to the wall. He blankly stared at his many drawings. "How could I not see this coming?"

Nine moved in closer and put a hand back on the striped male's shoulder. "You warned me numerous times, Six. It's not your fault that I snuck out and let myself make a mistake. Just… Don't blame yourself." The artist looked back to him, sorrow in his optics, and moved in to hug the taller around the middle.

"I'm… I'm just glad you and Two were okay…" Six admitted to him. Nine noticed he didn't mention Five and Seven and just assumed that the artist doubted they could get hurt. It made sense as they had actual weapons. He gently pet over the striped male's yarn in soft patterns, trying to comfort him as he tucked his head under his chin. It felt good to hold him close and feel like he was somewhat safe, but in reality, they weren't safe. They wouldn't be safe until the Machine was somehow stopped.

He could only hope that Cat wasn't telling the Machine too much.

Meanwhile, in the watchtower, Five and Seven had settled in for a long wait. They took turns between watching through the telescope and doing other things. Five tended to keep busy and was constantly either moving things, fiddling with his harpoon and the telescope, or writing down changes he noticed in the factory. It had started to spill out more smoke over the day, but there hadn't been massive changes. Some of the oil derricks had sprung to life, but the rest of the land lay dormant.

Seven felt a sense of dread every time she scanned the nearby city with the telescope. She awaited seeing him, but never found the male in her line of sight. She would then switch out from Five and sit to the side. Usually active, Seven had gone into a surprisingly quiet mood. She sat there lost in thoughts awaiting their next exchange. Eventually this pattern came to an abrupt halt.

"I see Cat!" Five forewarned as he tried to follow the male. Seven sprung to her feet and rushed in.

"What is he doing? Is he alone?" Seven demanded answers and Five scrambled to give them.

"He's coming this way it looks like. It's just him." The one-eyed male looked to her in concern, "Do you want to look? I need to go tell the others."

"A quick look. He won't get here that quickly." Seven stood behind the spyglass as Five aimed it, then looked through to see the male. Cat was in the process of slowly running back. She assumed that he was either tired from the long run or trying to keep a slower pace so that he didn't get tired. She couldn't see his expression under his helmet, but his body language didn't give away too much either. Except that he clearly wasn't sneaking around or hiding. He was making no attempt to discreetly cross the Emptiness.

"Let's go," Seven commanded curtly as she headed to the lift. They lowered together and, as soon as they reached the bottom, Seven sprung out of lift and hurried into the throne room. "Cat's on his way." She announced to the Stitchpunks. By now, One had returned to his throne with Two sitting on the armrest. Shockingly enough, One hadn't scolded Two for sitting as he was. Eight was sitting at his 'post' and sharpening his knife, a few others sitting alongside him. The twins sat cross legged on the steps that led to One's throne.

Nine bounded out of Six's corner the moment Seven announced this. Six peeked out of the curtain after him, but didn't leave the safety of his room. "Where is he?"

"Almost at the Cathedral!" Five called down the steps as he entered the throne room again. "We don't have long."

Two sent a worried look to One before sliding off the armrest. As he and One approached the steps, the twins darted out of the way to stand beside Eight, who was standing with his knife.

"Let him come up here, where we can all confront him at once," One suggested with a firm glare at the bucket lift. "That way, we can make sure he doesn't flee."

"Let's not jump to conclusions now," Two volunteered and looked directly to One. "He's coming back willingly, so we should hear what he has to say… More than likely, he's coming to tell us about the Machine's progress." Silence filled the room as they stood around and waited. Eventually the lift lowered down and, sometime later, it rose again, now carrying Cat inside. The sanctuary was eerily silent as he stopped the lift and looked over the room full of staring Stitchpunks. He glanced over each one before stepping out. Then he was bombarded.

"And where have you been?" Seven stepped in and immediately demanded answers. Somehow, she had beaten One to the punch.

"At the factory," Cat responded as normally as could be. Maybe even a little confused by her behavior. It was as though what happened earlier never happened.

"I know that much. What's going on down there?" Seven firmly continued. "What were you offering that Machine- which, might I add, you didn't ask us whether or not you could offer?" Cat looked over at Nine, the closest Stitchpunk to him, before looking back to Seven.

"We were talking," Cat began, "and planning some things." One was about the butt in, mouth open, when Seven's words filled his space.

"About becoming a Stitchpunk. We already know, Cat. Two understood you," Seven pointed out before physically pointing at Two. Two gave a slight nod. "How could you do this, Cat?" Seven asked, voice growing in volume slightly. "How could you betray us like this?"

"Hey, I didn't wake him up!" Cat shifted course and began to defend himself, raising his claws in a defense posture. "It was the Rat. He's always waited, wanted me gone, wanted to move into the factory. The second my body fell he took over the place." He started to growl as he vented about this 'Rat'. "I didn't betray you, or them," he gestured to the Stitchpunks, "or he would've come after you."

"Excuse me?" Seven asked with a suspicious look.

"He thinks there's only you four. He thinks I had you all captured before you escaped. He doesn't think you know how to fight," Cat listed off on his claws, finishing by flexing them. "He would've sent something here to seek you all out… But I got him not too. I talked him back." He gestured towards the clock face and the sky past it. "Now he's in there working on a body like mine."

"There's a difference between you and it, Cat," Seven scowled and turned away, approaching the cauldron. "We know you followed his orders, but how are we supposed to sympathize with the leader who sent the humans to their deaths? Even if we say it was a war, it doesn't have a line. It will destroy everything!"

It was around now when One straightened to speak again. Instead, Six stepped out of his room and chimed in. "He doesn't know about us?"

Cat looked to him, visibly upset by Seven's accusations, and gave a nod. "The only ones he knows about are these four." He quickly pointed out the four as he still looked to Six. "He doesn't know anything about… His creator being your creator. Couldn't risk it."

"Then what was the point of telling him to become a Stitchpunk?!" One finally blurted out to get a word in edgewise. It managed to work and he rested a hand on his forehead. "I'm trying to give you the benefit of a doubt, but I am having immense trouble doing so when your logic makes no sense!" Cat started to kneel. "And don't think doing that will make me sympathetic, Cat. You have cursed us all to be trapped in the same war that we were in all those years ago!"

"He knows how to make a body like mine now…" Cat explained slowly, head bowed to the leader. Though he tilted it a little to look upwards to Two. He would be much more ready to bow in submission to him, pleading for his trust. The inventor's look held both worry and curiosity. "I told him that with the world free of threats, I could take him away from the confines of the factory in his new body. I could show him our- 'his' world, I said… And once his body is done, I will lead him here."

Seven tensed and Cat's optics shifted to the floor. "Then… He will be completely at your mercy."

Seven's optics widened and she spun around, looking at the kneeling Stitchpunk. One also looked confused, "What?"

"In his body, he is powerful. He can create, he dwarfs us all, and he is unstoppable… But as a Stitchpunk, he will lose that power. If I bring him here, away from his body, you can overtake him easily." Cat's voice was dripping with sadness, as though every word hurt him when he spoke them. "But… I do ask for mercy for my creator. You may know what he did to the humans, but you don't know what the humans did to us."

The silence was back again. One looked at Two in alarm, Two exchanged the look, Seven looked surprised, One looked to Eight and received confusion, and everyone else mostly shared surprise at this reveal. Cat was offering the Machine on a silver platter. It could've been a trick, but it could also be the ultimate act of loyalty to them.

"We… We will have to discuss this…" One forced out in a completely flustered tone. He looked to Two. "Can we go discuss this somewhere? I need a few moments of sanity." Two agreed and One beckoned Eight along with them. The three started off with Nine following behind. This left Five, Six, the twins, Seven, and Cat alone. Cat was still kneeling as he had been before, but now left his head hanging. It was obvious that he was distraught from betraying his creator. Five wandered closer and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"If the Machine is anything like you, then I would be happy to let him stay," Five encouraged. He less said it because he meant it and more said it because he thought it would make Cat happy. The twins then stood before him and gave comforting flickers from their optics. He looked upwards to them, glancing over the three, then four as Six wandered closer.

"It's One and Two's decision now. I can't change them…" Cat quietly added in. "…But I did this for all of you. If you know that then I did my job right." He didn't seem satisfied, but he did drag himself to his feet and now stood above all the Stitchpunks. "I need to return to him. He'll get suspicious is I stay away too long."

"Maybe, just a suggestion, but I think you should at least wait until One and Two get back," Five offered in concern. "If you don't, One might get suspicious. You know how he is." Everyone knew how One was. Cat somewhat reluctantly decided to go along with it and glanced over to the cauldron. Seven was now entirely missing from the throne room. The board with his old image on it was pushed to the side and a passage could be seen behind it. He could only assume that she had gone through the passage and disappeared wherever it led.

Deciding to give no explanation to the four, he walked over and dipped into the passage, leaving them alone and staring blankly after him. The passage climbed down some ways into the wall of the Cathedral's tower before opening again at the rooftop. Cat stepped out, looked around, and soon noticed Seven staring out at the Emptiness. Cat carefully headed over to her, stalking along the edge of the Cathedral and started to sit down beside her. The warrior noticed him, but only looked at him out of the corner of her optic.

He said nothing at first. Instead he just sat beside her, staring out at the view. Then, randomly, he made a suggestion. "You're angry." Almost a question but more of a statement.

"…I'm not angry," Seven clarified, weariness in her voice. "I'm just… Very confused. I know better than to trust you." She looked away and closed her optics. "I know better than to believe stories."

"But you know this isn't a story," Cat pointed out and Seven responded with a huff, dropping her head more. She didn't want to see the factory, or Cat. The male looked out over the Emptiness before adding in. "I don't want to hurt him."

"Then why are you?" Seven inquired

"Because I don't want to hurt you more," Cat admitted. "I don't want to hurt you _again_."

"Cat…" Seven felt embarrassment hit her. He hoped that it wouldn't be brought up. "Cat, that was different. You were a beast."

"If I follow my creator's commands…" Cat began in a sluggish fashion. "Then I'll be mindless again. This is my choice, to protect you at the cost of my creator's trust and love… If he even feels that anymore." He shook his head and tightened his grip on the roof beneath him. "…He was too aggressive with you before. He'll just be dangerous."

So that was it. Cat was upset about the Machine's reaction to the Stitchpunks and that was why he was doing what he was doing. It all clicked into place at that point. It was as though he had suspected the Machine would be kinder, or at least less aggressive towards the Stitchpunks, and when he wasn't it had snapped Cat out of his blinded loyalty. He saw what leaders could truly be like.

Seven felt her sympathy towards Cat return and she reached out to lay a hand on his lower back, beneath his armor. "You're doing the right thing… I know you don't want to betray him, but he will have no qualms against killing us. If we give him the chance, then he easily could." This didn't seem to comfort Cat very much. Deciding to take it a little further, the warrior leaned closer and let her helmet clunk against his. It wasn't quite the same as fabric upon fabric contact, but she hoped that he understood how awkward that would be for her while trying to keep from sliding off the roof.

He let out a low purr out of reflex and she looked down to notice his hand kneading against his own leg. But the usually confident Cat, or unable to identify the appropriate time for affection Cat, didn't physically reach out for her. This somewhat surprised her, but only inspired her to give him more reassurance. Or maybe it wasn't just his slouched position and clearly distraught behavior, but the fact that he came back.

Cat wasn't obligated to remain loyal to the Stitchpunks. He wasn't required to take their side when his creator returned. However, Cat had sided with them, and was even planning against his own maker to side with them. Seven couldn't believe how relieved she felt knowing that Cat hadn't turned his back on them.

"Thank you," Seven murmured before she could ever think about it. Immediately afterwards she realized what she said, optics flipping back open, but was unable to say anything to erase her reveal. She decided instead to stand by it.

"For what?" Cat asked as he paused in his kneading motion.

"…For coming back," Seven clarified as she moved her head slightly to rest on his shoulder. She closed her optics once again and exhaled smoothly. "I was afraid that you wouldn't come back."

"…I was afraid you wouldn't stay." Cat reached over with his over arm and laid it on Seven's. He gave a light squeeze, barely a rolling knead of his claws, and turned his head to nudge against hers. "Thanks for waiting."

"Don't get too comfortable," Seven playfully remarked as a warm smile settled on her face. She continued to hold onto Cat, allowing herself to simply trust him, and Cat returned this gesture by staying longer. The Machine could wait; he needed this to keep on with his plan.

He needed Seven to remind him why he was turning against his creator, and thankfully she did a good job.

* * *

Two stayed silent as One sent Nine and Eight out of the room. Once they were gone, he turned to the shorter Stitchpunk. He inhaled deeply before exhaling curtly, then he spoke. "You're much too trusting, Two." The slightly younger looked to the floor as the taller approached his back. "How can you continue to believe Cat's word when we suspect that the Machine can control him?"

"I believe what he said," Two explained to One. "I could hear it in his voice. This hurts him, turning against his creator. That's all the evidence I have to have." Indeed, Two had no doubt in his choice to trust Cat. "I believe we should go along with trapping the Machine. We'll figure out what to do next once we get there." That was to be his final word.

To his surprise, One's response was a sigh instead of a frustrated flurry of anger at Two's 'insolence'. The leader stepped closer to him and Two noticed when he was standing right behind him. "…One?"

It was at this moment that an arm started to slowly surround him. Two was dumbstruck by the movement and could only gasp when One pulled him back; pressing the inventor against his buckles in a slight embrace. The inventor gave a small inhale, like a slight hiss, and felt his cheeks break into sudden color.

"I hope Cat is being truthful, for your sake. You open your heart to others too quickly, Two. You risk yourself getting hurt," One softly spoke to him. While his words seemed like they could be scolding, his tone was a sharp contrast. It was almost as though One sounded sympathetic or worried. After how worked up he had been, after they had received such life changing news, One was being calm and supportive. It had Two stumped, but he wasn't willing to question it, less the older male suddenly back off.

"I have to… That's just how I am," Two answered One in the most even voice he could muster.

"I know," One responded before sighing and pulling back. "That is what frightens me so much." With those heavy words, One turned and headed to the doorway, briefly pausing before he passed through. "For now, I will go along with this. I don't have much of a choice if the Machine has already been awoke… But if he betrays us, Two, I will not let him make a fool of us. I will not stand aside and forgive… But I think that you already know that."

"I do." Two started to face One. He hoped his soul's light was no longer visible on his face, but he doubted that it wasn't. "And I thank you. It… It's the best plan we have. If it works, we may never need to worry about the Machine again… Depending on what our decision is after we get ahold of him."

"I would prefer to save that until after victory," One spoke back. He looked to the inventor, his optics briefly softening, and finished with, "I will alert the others and then we can begin preparations." Two nodded and the leader stepped out of the room.

The moment he was gone, Two felt the color return in full and let his hand press to his chest. His pulse was racing over such a small gesture and he not only couldn't understand why he was reacting like this, but couldn't understand why One had done something so odd. He had noticed One's change in recent behavior, but physical affection was something that he barely engaged in. Though this wouldn't have been too alarming except for some of his other behavior patterns. Most importantly, the random moments of flirtation.

Flirtation, affection, if Two didn't know better he would believe that One was courting him. However, he doubted this after One's efforts to keep the others for coming after him. None of it added up logically.

Now wasn't the time for dwelling on these things, but Two couldn't help but be left reeling from this continued pattern. He tried to suppress the blush once again as he followed his leader out the door. They had more things to worry about now. They would cross that bridge later and worry about those concerns later.

If One was courting Two then, well, Two would figure out how to deal with it later. For now, he would have to learn how to control this chronic blushing.

* * *

 **Mable: As though the Machine wasn't enough to make these poor punks confused. At least Two seems to be the most level-headed when it comes to One's odd behaviors. XD Anyway, the next chapter will be posted as soon as I can finish it! I hope you enjoyed!**


	21. Chapter 21:Time Ticks Down

**Mable: I meant to post this on Sunday, but time got away from me. I was close to being on time, though, so I'll blame life and pretend like I'm still on schedule. XD Anyway, I don't own 9. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-One: Time Ticks Down_

With a grunt, Eight continued to roll the small birdcage into the Cathedral. Seven, Five, and Nine followed behind him, carrying other things that they collected on their scouting mission. The others were already waiting inside for when they arrived in the Cathedral. The second that Eight stopped and tilted the birdcage upright, One approached with a scrutinizing gaze.

"This is it? It doesn't even have a door," the leader pointed out with little hope in his voice.

"It's the only other birdcage in the immediate area," Seven explained, looking less than impressed at One's disregard of their hard work. "We can't very well get the one out of the factory."

One still didn't seem convinced, so Five volunteered. "We brought some wire. It shouldn't be too hard to make a replacement door," the healer suggested. Two smiled and gave a nod of agreement before wandering over to him.

"I can get started on that, unless you and the others would like to join me?" Two offered to the group. His optics were wide with a glint of inspiration. If anyone could get this birdcage in a working state, it would be him, and the others knew that.

"Sure! I think we can get this into workable condition," Five assured as he followed his mentor to the workshop. The twins followed them away, leaving the remaining Stitchpunks, save Six who was still in the bucket lift, standing where they were.

"So, what exactly is this plan?" One questioned as he looked between Nine and Seven. "We can't keep it in a birdcage forever, and that's only if we are able to get it in the birdcage originally. You two must have further ideas."

"We will," Nine promised. Though it was less his and Seven's ideas and more of a random cluster of ideas contributed by all the Stitchpunks. "This is just a temporary solution. When it comes, we'll have to subdue it."

"A birdcage is only justified. After all, it keeps one in its factory for our kind," Seven pointed out with a slight coldness at the thought. The mere thought of the machine being there right now, being unstoppable, was unbearable. "It will be like us so this should work well enough… What comes after will come when it may." She considered immediate execution, but shrugged it off, knowing the others would disagree.

"But One is right, Sev. We do need a continuing plan," Nine admitted as he looked back and forth between the two. "Depending on its behavior, maybe we can get it to give us information. That's- Alright, I know that's not at the top of everyone's list." Both One and Seven looked at him skeptically. "But it is an opportunity that we may never get again. This machine could tell us more than we could ever figure out on our own!"

One and Seven sent each other odd looks. One seemed confused and Seven seemed concerned, but they said nothing against Nine's suggestion. "But that's… The least of our issues," Nine admitted. "We have more important things to worry about before then… Like how we're planning to fight the Machine."

"Here's a plan; We jump it," Eight volunteered to the group. He had turned away from the birdcage and was now merely standing, holding onto it. "We wait by the doorway and once it gets far enough inside, we all rush it at once, knock it out, and put it in the birdcage." He brushed his hands together before crossing his arms, "Problem solved." For a few moments, the other three didn't react.

"I can barely believe it, but Eight, that could possibly work," One admitted, both surprised and proud that Eight concocted a simple, but efficient idea. "We could strike when the iron is hot. Block its escape."

"The further we can get it into the Cathedral, and the further from its machine body, the more time we have to subdue it," Seven agreed. She then gave a thoughtful hum. "But how could we knock it unconscious? We can't just strike it on the head and hope it goes down- as much as I would prefer that."

"With this," Eight continued and snatched off his magnet, presenting it to the group.

"A magnet?" Nine asked in confusion, seemingly not understanding.

"If Two uses this to put us under to work on us-," Eight began.

"-And we certainly know what you use it for, so you would be the best to tell us about it," Seven butted in with a small smirk. One frowned at the joke and the truth it held.

"If Two uses this," Eight clarified again more firmly, "then we can use this. What's the chance that it's used a magnet before? This thing's only gonna be a Stitchpunk for a day. It'll not have a tolerance."

"Again, you are absolutely correct," One praised. He then scoffed with a slightly smug smile, "It seems all that time with Four is finally starting to rub off on you. Thank her when you can." He didn't notice it, but the guard briefly had an almost embarrassed look, but it seemed less about One's praise and more about his mention of Four. Especially after what One had been suggesting before.

"So, Cat brings him here and we ambush," Nine clarified. He then looked to Seven. "You saw him before he left, right? When did he say he was coming back?"

"…He didn't," Seven admitted. She had woken early in the morning to see him off. During this, they had said little, save Cat promising that he would return by nightfall. It concerned her now just as much as it had concerned her while she watched him sprint away. "But he said he would be back before tonight. Maybe then he'll have word on the Machine's progress."

The moment of silence was ended abruptly by Six's quiet voice. "It won't be long now… It doesn't take long," he insisted as he peered out of the bucket lift. They knew he meant the machine, perhaps in creating, and decided to not ask and instead assume that the artist's assumption was correct.

"We need to prepare ourselves…" One exhaled tiredly and rubbed his head. "It seems I have no choice… Eight!" Eight straightened and looked to the leader. "Eight, get my blade. If I must fight, then so be it." Eight nodded and headed to the bucket lift. Six scrambled around him as to not be taken into the Sanctuary with him, then watched as the guard slowly raised.

"You… have a weapon?" Nine was absolutely baffled. One sent him a weary look. "I thought you let Eight fight for you." The younger then realized that this could possibly be taken offensively. "Physically, I mean, because he's your guard." Either One wasn't going to be offended or Nine covered himself, as he explained without an issue.

"I do. Eight crafted me a weapon during our first year here. I never needed to use it, of course, but now… If we are all armed, then we will be able to deal with this this mechanical doppelganger all the sooner." One didn't sound as confident as Nine would've expected.

"That's right. If we work together as a unit, then it won't be able to fight back," Nine encouraged the leader. This might have slightly raised One's confidence, but Nine felt empty in saying the words. He had a feeling that it couldn't be that simple. There was no way it could be that simple.

* * *

He hadn't thought that his creator would become so invested in the idea of becoming a Stitchpunk. Though Cat started to wonder if it was just the ability to escape the factory that had the superior machine so enthralled. The Fabrication Machine loathed the factory just as much as it took possession of it. It was brought here reluctantly, secured in without its control, and seeing Cat's success in a body transfer had only inspired it to take its chance to escape. Even now it worked on the metal endoskeleton.

Cat knew that it would make a more perfect body, and that somewhat frightened him. Not for his own sake, but for the others, and hesitantly for his creator. It wouldn't complete detach itself without a way back into its massive original form, so once he was out he could never let him go back inside. Cat couldn't let this get out of hand or chaos would ensue. As it was, he was balancing on a tightrope where everything had to be perfectly balanced. The Stitchpunks were alive, his creator was awake, and he had both sides trusting him.

One wrong move could destroy this all. This was Cat's only option if he wanted to keep the life he had.

The factory was hotter than he expected it to be. This body responded to the heat with slight discomfort and sluggishness, but it wasn't that bad. What was worse was his general lack of things to do. Normally, Cat would be content relaxing, but his body would allow him to rest. His creator's work no longer soothed him; he no longer felt safe under the large, red optic. Mostly because he feared that the Machine would see through his guise. All he would have to see is worry and he would know everything.

Surprisingly, the Machine had made no attempt to create more beasts or wake others. He seemingly was more determined to make his own body and escape. He didn't even care about the Stitchpunks; Cat saying he would hunt them was enough to entirely satisfy him. He wanted to see the world he had created first and foremost; he started to cut into a piece of pale burlap.

By this rate, he was bound to be finished sooner than Cat had been. That frightened Cat even more as he knew, unlike himself, his creator would create a fully sustainable body. Once it was ready it would be fully integrated. He could only hope the Stitchpunks could foresee this.

Cat didn't know if he could fight his creator, so he could only hope that the Stitchpunks could.

* * *

Three and Four acted young, but they weren't ignorant. After all they had learned, they knew of the danger that would soon be upon them. While they originally stuck alongside Seven, who seemed to be spending much of her time on edge and worried, Four eventually decided to leave her twins' side. Instead, she headed to go see Eight, who was working on his weapons. He had them sprawled out around his post in the throne room, and occasionally grabbed one to work on it.

Four approached Eight hesitantly. She knew how difficult it would be to have a discussion when she couldn't speak and feared the guard would become impatient. Yet, still, she approached him, nervously tugging at her hood as she did so. The guard looked up from his work and nodded in acknowledgement before continuing to sharpen the blade in his hand.

Four timidly padded over and sat down beside him. It was this action that caught Eight's attention and he looked to her out of the corner of his optics.

"Something on your mind?" Eight inquired, as if he didn't know what worry was plaguing her and the rest of the Sanctuary.

With a meek nod, Four tried to explain through hand gestures, expression, and flickers. She made a fearful face, she pointed around the room, she shook her head in despair; Eight may not have understood, but he was watching just as intently as ever. He was struggling to understand. The event ended with Four dropping her head into her own hands.

Before, back at the Library, the twins had studied the horror stories about the Machine. They knew how the war between it and the humans went and how one-sided it became. They knew how massively outnumbered and outsized they would be if the Machine decided to simply charge the Cathedral. There would be loss and she, nor her twin, was ready for such a high amount of loss.

It was now that Eight gave an audible exhale. He started to lean over to set his weapon down while Four peeked at him through her fingers. As upset as she was, she couldn't suppress her curiosity towards the larger male. He sat upwards again and scooted closer to her smaller frame. Then he reached out and wrapped an arm around her upper back, pulling her close to him.

"Hey, don't worry about it…" Eight started to coax and Four turned to look upwards at him. Her optics were wide and interested in his new, affectionate side of the guard. He gave a twitch of a smile as he patted her opposite shoulder. "We've got luck on our side. It's gonna be our size and in our body, we've got the home front advantage, and we're going to outnumber it… Unless it doesn't come alone." A tinge of concern passed his face and he looked out across the throne room, as though briefly considering going and telling someone.

Four tilted her head curiously and Eight returned to looking at her again. "It's just coming with Cat. There's no need to get all wrapped up about it yet. We're all gonna handle this," Eight insisted with the smile returning. "I'm gonna protect you. That's my job, right?"

Four's reaction was immediate. She spread her arms and eagerly hugged onto Eight's front. She desperately clung to him, pressing into his front, and tried to show that she was both thankful and in need of his reassurance. Normally, she wouldn't dare do something so bold. After all, not only did he not return her feelings but she was supposedly trying to prove her maturity to him. This was nothing but a step backwards.

Yet Eight's reaction wasn't expected. Instead of just awkwardly standing there or, heaven forbid, shoving her away, he responded differently. He put his arms fully around her smaller form, completely engulfing her in his strong grasp, and held her tightly to his chest. She gave a silent gasp and felt her grip slightly loosening out of shock. She didn't expect him to hug back.

"We're going to take care of you. You and Three- I'll make sure you're both safe. It'll have to get through me first," Eight promised the small female. Four reacted by abruptly yanking her upper body back and shaking her head. Her optics were still filled with worry as she timidly patted his arm. She wanted him to come out of this safe too; it wasn't just her sister and she that she was worried about.

"Me?" Eight guessed, seeming a little surprised at her worry. His smile returned with a more playful tinge to it. "Don't go worrying about me, I was born to fight. No machine wobbling around in a punk body is taking me down anytime soon. Cat didn't." He got a slight smirk as he pointed this out and Four's smile returned. "That's what I'm looking for," Eight coaxed as he brought his hand forward to tap lightly under her chin, still playfully. She tried to brush him off with a giggling flickering of her optics.

"I need to get these weapons done. You go find your twin and tell her everything I told you; might make her feel better too," Eight suggested as he released the scholar. Four gave an eager nod, stood, waved, and began to scurry off to find the other female. Eight chuckled and lifted his knife again to keep working.

It was a good thing she left; he was starting to get a little warm. He couldn't have that happening.

* * *

He knew it was obsessive, but Five had been sitting in the watchtower for the last hour waiting. He occasionally looked through the spyglass before pulling back to distract himself with other things. He just couldn't help but feel a frantic need to keep an eye out just in case. After all, they were running out of time. With a sigh, he set his harpoon aside and stood. After stretching his back, he wandered to the spyglass and climbed onto the stand to peer through. He hummed as he quickly scanned the Emptiness.

Then he stopped and stared.

And he stared.

And he couldn't breathe.

Overwhelming panic overtook him when he noticed Cat coming back to the Cathedral. Not because of Cat himself, but because he wasn't alone. Following Cat was a figure that was partially hidden under a thick cloak of stitched machine banners. He watched it follow behind Cat, moving slower and methodically with each step, and Five knew there was no mistake.

It was the Fabrication Machine's Stitchpunk body.

Grabbing his harpoon and nothing else, not even his quiver, Five sprung into the lift and quickly lowered himself into the Sanctuary. "It's coming!" he cried out in a frantic panic and sprinted down the steps into the throne room. Eight and One's heads both shot upwards while Nine spun around.

"What?!" Nine cried in shock. Five grabbed him by the arm.

"I saw it! Cat- Cat's bringing it here! Right _now!_ " It seemed like the other Stitchpunks just appeared in the room at this time. All of them looked horrified.

"No, it can't be…" One began quietly, pressing back into his throne and clawing at the arm rests. "How could it have finished so quickly?!"

"I don't know, but it's there!" Five was starting to truly panic and began to hyperventilate. Seven put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Five, breathe, calm down. We knew it was coming," Seven convinced him. She was amazed in her own ability to keep calm under such stress. "How far away are they?"

"N-Not far… Maybe ten minutes. They aren't going fast," Five managed to calm down enough to explain rationally. "We don't even have time to finish the- Oh, Two!" His face contorted to fear. "Two's still down there _alone!_ We have to warn him!" He turned to hurry to the bucket lift when Nine called after him.

"Wait! We don't have time to pull the lift back up; we'll come down with you!" He grabbed his Lightstaff and hurried to the lift. Seven followed and soon Eight was starting to approach as well. He only paused to look back at One.

"Boss, you don't need to come down. Stay here with the twins and keep 'em safe," Eight suggested and gestured over towards the two Stitchpunks. One looked over and was about to agree, but then noticed Six boarding the lift. Something about seeing Six so willing to go, even when he didn't have a weapon, made One realize that he didn't have a choice. He wanted to stay behind, but couldn't justify doing it.

"What leader won't accompany his own fellowship into battle? Hand me my blade, Eight. I am coming with you," One announced in the most dramatic tone that he could muster. He honestly forced this tone to cover his own dread instead of for prestige, but Eight looked impressed regardless. He handed One the smaller blade and accompanied him to the lift. Unsurprisingly, the twins followed as well.

Somehow, the eight managed to squeeze into the lift all at once and Eight labored to lower it into the Cathedral. Five was obviously anxious the entire time; wringing his hands and nervously trying to pace in the small area he had. This was stopped by Six grabbing his arm and giving him a reassuring look. Five exhaled and silently put an arm around the striped male's back in a brotherly fashion. This gave Nine a reason to smile and he briefly was distracted by his own endearment. For a moment, he could ignore the growing dread.

It wasn't until the lift reached the bottom that Nine was hit with the finality of it all. They were completely out of time. There was no more time to wait or prepare; this was the end of the line. As Five sprinted down to the workshop, Seven and Eight moved to hide by the doors. Nine stepped out while One and the others stayed in the lift to wait. Though before Nine could get far, Six reached over the edge of the lift and took Nine's shoulder in his grasp.

"Be careful…" Six quietly requested. Worry marred his face and his mismatched optics showed it clearly.

Nine gave him a strained smile back, "I will…" Then, after patting Six's hand, he pulled away and started to go find a place to wait it out. There were so close to stopping the disaster that he had set into motion. If all went well, they would be safe again. If they failed…

Nine didn't even want to imagine what Six could've seen.

* * *

 **Mable: This is it. Time to see if they can finally, efficiently, stop the danger that has been looming over them since Nine brought the Talisman out of the Scientist's Workshop. This is their last chance to change the course of time… The next chapter will, hopefully, be posted on Sunday, but may come a few days afterwards. I hope you enjoyed!**


	22. Chapter 22: The False Stitchpunk

**Mable: Here we are! This chapter required a lot more work than I was expecting, which is why it was a little delayed. I did finish it last night, but it was about two AM and usually when I post that late I'm rewarded with a chapter full of non-detectable spelling errors. XD It was best to wait. I don't own 9, Enjoy!...  
They don't even realize what's coming.**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Two: The False Stitchpunk_

As Cat stepped into the Cathedral, he forced himself to look comfortable.

He quickly glanced around before starting to wander in. He pretended to be keeping an eye out for threats when, in reality, he was really checking to make sure that the others were already waiting. He spotted a touch of fabric behind a piece of fallen roof and knew they were waiting. Bracing himself, he continued deeper into the Cathedral, and his creator followed along. Cat only stopped to look back when his creator lingered by the birdcage.

The former machine reached out and touched one of the bars of the birdcage, slightly studying it. Cat could read that it wasn't suspicion, but wasn't comfortable with how interested his creator was in the trap. He moved in closer and playfully dragged his claws along the bars of the cage. He hoped the playfulness would ease his creator and looked to him with a slight smile. It looked to him, then to his claw, and showed little reaction. He wasn't entirely surprised; it took him days before he was comfortable in his body.

Though the machine already knew how to process emotions. It simply didn't know how to handle this body. Even now, Cat watched as it limped a few more steps, swaying uncomfortably and staring upwards at the massive Cathedral. The Fabrication Stitchpunk looked upwards at the plane half lodged in the roof before fidgeting with its hood and turning back. It started to turn towards the front entrance and headed over, preparing to leave. For a split second, Cat feared that his creator would walk back out. For a split second, he hoped his creator would walk back out.

Then a gasp suddenly alerted them both to a new presence.

The Fabrication Stitchpunk's head snapped back and Cat's followed suit. There, stepping out of the Workshop's curtain, was none other than Two. The look on his face was of surprise, but seemed almost exaggerated. It dawned on Cat that Two had purposefully made the noise to draw their attention. With his resolve made, Cat knew exactly what to do. He gave a growl and sprinted towards the shorter Stitchpunk, giving every appearance that he was going to fully attack the Inventor. Two vanished into the workshop and Cat followed behind him.

Once past the curtain, the chase came to an abrupt halt, but the Fabrication Stitchpunk didn't know this. It took a few more steps towards the workshop and attempted to listen in. The noise it heard, however, was a brief shuffling to its right. It turned to look over and recoiled at the grief glimpse of a doll scrambling by. It recognized Nine as it had Two, but instead of aggressively approaching him, it suddenly became paranoid. Its optics went straight towards the exit and, in this moment, they knew that they had to act fast.

Eight barreled out of hiding and rushed in. The Fabrication Stitchpunk reacted immediately. It reached to its back, under its hood, and drew out a strangely shaped blade. It looked like a knife, though much smaller and shorter than Eight's, but had been carefully crafted into resembling the banner insignia. Eight had no idea that the machine would be bringing a weapon, though wasn't deterred because of how much smaller the blade truly was. He swung his knife down and it shifted to the side, dodging the blade's descent.

Uncomfortable in its body or not, the Fabrication Stitchpunk had come prepared for a fight. It lunged in and took a swing at Eight, who leaned back out of reach of the blade. Nine tried to move in closer with his Lightstaff turned on, to hopefully distract the beast, but it seemingly noticed this and only became more aggressive. It let out a mechanical groan before turning his back on the offending light and circling Eight. The guard turned slowly, trying to make sure that the Machine couldn't get behind him, and lashed out again.

The Fabrication Stitchpunk ducked back before rushing in and jutting its sword towards Eight's chest. The guard only managed to barely dodge, with the sword barely scraping the fabric between his chest and arm. It was now that Seven made a move to rush in. She caught the sword with her spear and tried to shove it back. The male made an attempt to push back and it became a war between the sword and the spear. Eight went to move in and grab the Fabrication Stitchpunk while it was distracted.

He was met by a sudden amount of weight tackling into his side and causing him to stumble. Then he had to deal with glowing red optics and sharp claws.

"Cat!" Seven called out in horror as she watched the former beast lose what little control he had. He started swiping at Eight who struggled to block with his blade. The Fabrication Stitchpunk turned around to face down Nine, so Seven changed her target to Cat. While he was distracted, she darted over and tackled him in the side like he had to Eight. Unlike Eight, Cat was knocked to the floor, but he eagerly rolled with the female and wrestled with her. He got ahold of her spear and attempted to yank it away as he got on top.

Unwilling to be pinned, Seven flipped their positions and, with most of her strength, shoved her spear's blade down to press against the male's neck. He couldn't move without risking damage and both of them knew that. She stared down at him, fierceness in her optics, and waited to see his response. It was obvious that he wasn't entirely there; his optics were somewhat unfocused and he seemed driven by uncontrollable aggression. His attack wasn't by choice. Her facial features softened, but she didn't pull back her spear. She knew it was better this way.

The Fabrication Stitchpunk started moving in on Nine. It obviously recognized him and wasn't thrilled by his light, so it raised its sword and approached. Then, in a surprising move, a figure appeared out of the shadows and struck the blade downward. Instead of being Eight, it was shockingly One, who held his knife firm as he took his stance. In his other hand was his staff and with both he looked to be moderately threatening. Nine quickly moved beside him with his Lightstaff held tightly. Between them both, the Machine was outmatched.

It reacted accordingly. Without a moment's delay, it yanked off its cloak and tossed it aside. At first both Stitchpunks didn't understand why it would do such a thing. As it was, at first glance, the Stitchpunk creature looked rather normal to what they would expect. Though this lasted for only a few moments as four long, metal arms slid free of its back and planted themselves onto the ground. To One and Nine's shared horror, it raised itself off the ground and stared them down, its optics changing to glow red and dancing with static.

It hadn't made itself entirely into a Stitchpunk. If anything, it just made itself a Stitchpunk exterior to hide the machine parts inside.

Eight rushed the Fabrication Machine, seeing that it was confronting One and Nine, and swung at it. It dodged the strike and brought two of its arms down to hold the knife. The other arms went to grab Eight's shoulders as it thrusted it sword towards his chest. The guard grunted and flinched downwards, but this time the blade hit him. Though not in the intended spot. It stabbed at his shoulder, sliding between his fabric and his shoulder guards, and clipped the stitches that were unlucky enough to be caught in the way.

With a grunt, the guard grabbed at the blade and tried to tug it away. One started to move in from the side, looking for an opening to attack, when a distraction came from an unexpected call.

"Over here!" Five boldly put himself on display again, hoping that the Fabrication Stitchpunk would recognize him. It immediately looked over and its focus suddenly shifted. Its vague look became more interested; it only frightened the healer to see that look of curiosity on the false Stitchpunk. It pushed off of Eight, who staggered slightly, and made a crawling dash towards the one eyed Stitchpunk. Five stumbled back over his own feet and threateningly aimed his harpoon. He had one shot, but he knew if he used it that he would have nothing.

Though this was suddenly out of the question when a new Stitchpunk appeared out of nowhere. Two had snuck around and dashed towards the Fabrication Stitchpunk with a magnet tightened in his grasp. The being noticed him at the last moment and caught him with his claw, quickly looking over him. Unlike Eight, Two had no weapon, so the Fabrication's response was less aggressive. Even as Two tried to get the magnet on it, it simply help Two back, but even this frightened the others.

Five leapt forward and tried to wrestle him off, striking the being with his harpoon. It quickly used a spare arm to shove him back. While Five couldn't free his mentor, he did distract the Fabrication just long enough for Eight to appear and reach around, slamming his own magnet against the Beast's ruby eyes. It became frantic, trying to stab back with its blade.

"Hold it down!" Nine blurted out as he ran to the group. "Eight, keep the magnet on it!" He tried to grab ahold of it as well. Its Stitchpunk arm reacted to tear at its front until the closures opened. The pale fabric opened to reveal a familiar sight underneath; the talisman stuck snugly in a port on its chest. It burst open with a flicker of green light and prepared for something. Nine didn't know what it could do, but his immediate reflex was to grab Five and yank him out of the way. They stumbled over each other and collapsed on the floor.

The light couldn't reach Eight, though. One pulled Two out of the way and behind him, knife still raised, and they watched as the machine arms went on to attack Eight. The guard's grip wouldn't budge. It was now that the Fabrication actually called out, as though frustrated at its situation and probably beginning to feel the effects of the magnet. Cat lost it; he began to fight Seven's spear even though he risked his own neck.

"Two, help me!" Seven called over. She didn't want to hurt Cat, but if he continued fighting then he was bound to get hurt. Two rushed over, dodging One's grabbing hand, and knelt to hold down Cat's upper body.

"Cat, you must fight this," the inventor firmly stated. He didn't want to be harsh, but he couldn't see the being he had come to trust. Instead, he saw the Cat Beast in his optics, and it scared him.

Then, suddenly, the Fabrication started to slip. The magnet sunk in and its ability to fight faded. Its machine arms went limp and its Stitchpunk arms clung to Eight's arms, trying to claw at them, before starting to slip. Finally, Eight released the false Stitchpunk and let the body collapse to the ground. Its optics lost their light and closed before it even fell in a heap. The Talisman's color also died and closed tightly in on itself. The room went silent and the tension was heavy.

"…Is it unconscious?" One carefully inquired as he continued to keep his distance. Eight nudged the Fabrication with his foot and received no response.

"Think so. It wouldn't fake it like this," Eight suggested and took a few steps back. "It got me good." He rubbed his shoulder as the twins scurried over. Before they could get too close, he stretched his arm out to block them. "That wasn't some sort of signal to rush in," he pointed out in a surprisingly firm tone. He just couldn't muster the amusement and both twins looked to him curiously.

It was now that Cat finally stopped struggling. His body went limp and he stared upwards at the two Stitchpunks above him. "Cat?" Seven quietly asked as she checked his alertness. "Are you back with us?" His pupils were more focused, but the red glow had yet to dissipate. He slowly looked back and forth between them a few more times. Then his eyes suddenly lost focus and he stared vacantly at the roof. He seemed to be in some sort of shock, so the Warrior caught his attention once more.

"Cat," Seven drew his attention with her warning tone. "I'm going to pull back. If you attack you're only going to hurt yourself." On that final note, she started to bring her spear back, and his continued to lay there. His optics looked to her a little longer before staring off at the ceiling. His expression was completely unreadable.

"The birdcage isn't finished…" Five murmured, alerting Two to their newest plight. The inventor looked over the scene and quickly accessed.

"Yes… Five, Nine, I need you to take it… _Him_ ," Two changed his wording in the hope to keep Cat calm and appeased. "Take _him_ into the workshop and… Perhaps secure him, so that he doesn't attack if he wakes early. I can mend Eight and then we can look at fixing the door." He then looked down to Cat yet again. He didn't feel comfortable leaving him, but he had no choice, and patted his shoulder before standing and approaching Eight. Five quickly retrieved a needle and thread from the workshop before he and Nine struggled to move the Fabrication Stitchpunk.

"I can move 'em," Eight pointed out as Two beckoned him to sit down. After all, the inventor was nearly the shortest Stitchpunk and couldn't mend him while standing.

"Don't worry yourself. Nine and Five can handle it, and you need tending to before it gets too painful," Two reassured as he watched Eight slide off his shoulder guards. "Thank you for protecting us."

"No problem. It's my job," Eight reassured as he sat back down. He watched warily as the older strung the needle and moved in. Unable to watch, Eight looked away as Two started to stick, and distracted himself by looking at Three and Four nearby who were leading along an almost in-shock Six, who was nearly shaking. Watching them eased his mind enough to ignore the sensation of being stitched.

As for Seven, her attention briefly went to them, then returned to Cat when she noticed him starting to roll over. The male slowly pulled upwards as though he was preparing to get up, but then didn't do so. Instead, he pressed his head into the floor and curled slightly into himself. "Cat?" Seven asked in concern and she reached out to lay a hand on his back. "It's okay. You only did what you had to." She didn't know if she meant him uncontrollably attacking or to betraying his creator. Then again, she didn't know which of the two was currently rendering him unmovable.

Cat shook his head and didn't provide any context to go with it. "Oh, Cat…" Seven murmured, feeling true sympathy. She moved her arm further around him and laid her head on his back. He shuddered in response, but unlike when he usually received attention from her, he didn't purr. He just stayed unbelievably quiet, which only showed how distraught he was. Apparently Two noticed it as well as, after finishing with Eight, he returned to Cat's side instead of working directly on the birdcage.

He crouched down and wrapped his arms around Cat's upper body, pulling him upwards and against his own chest. His fatherly gesture was both expected and unexpected. He was usually tender towards those who were upset, but his more physical affection tended to be towards Five, Six, or the twins. The older male held Cat like he would one of the twins if frightened or upset. Inwardly, he remembered that look in his eyes, he remembered all the trouble the Cat Beast had given him, and it only made him more determined in his efforts.

"I know it hurts," Two quietly whispered to him. He believed it was best if the others didn't hear this. Seven was an exception, but Two had a feeling that she would understand. "I can't imagine how it feels. Even beyond the programming, I know you do care for him…" Two sympathized as Cat stayed somewhat limp in his grasp. "…I'll see what I can do for him." With this final promise, the redness died in Cat's optics, and he pressed more firmly into Two's chest. He still wasn't at the point of purring, but he definitely seemed more relieved.

Seven patted him on the back before looking over to the others. One was watching rather closely and she suspected that he was soon going to say something. The twins were looking over Eight; Three merely watching as Four tentatively pet his arm on the side of his wounded shoulder. Six stood nearby and looked extremely flustered. She was almost ready to go to him when One made his move.

However, instead of addressing Two, One turned towards the twins. "Three, Four, if you two could get the wire from the workshop then we can begin working on the door." They both nodded and turned to go, but he wasn't done. "But don't go near it," One asserted firmly. "It's unpredictable. Just let Nine and Five do what they intend to do." Both scholars nodded and hurried off together. The leader gave a soft exhale and then went back too watching Two. In this last moment he noticed Seven watching him and promptly averted his optics.

Meanwhile, Nine and Five were attempting to finish the task at hand. They carried the Stitchpunk being into the workshop and laid it on the cot. Unsurprisingly, it was heavier than an average Stitchpunk, but the two managed to flop it down onto the cot. Five quickly looked it over before rushing to the workbench, "I think I have an idea…"

Nine had his own focus on the talisman and tried to see if he could somehow get it out. First he tried to simply fit his fingers underneath it, but the was barely any space between the talisman and the port. Then he tried to fiddle with the buttons on the talisman itself, but couldn't get any sort of actual response. He was nearly out of ideas when Five returned with a few small sections of wire.

"The arms- the arms that were coming out of its back- are our biggest problems right now. If I could use something to keep it closed…" He nudged the Fabrication Stitchpunk onto its side and looked at its back. Relief passed his face as he noticed hook and eye closures keeping the fabric together, though were currently not hooked. "Here we go, I can use this. I can wrap the wire around and it should keep this closed." The arms retracted into its back on their own, which was a relief, and Five began to mold the wire around the closure once he closed it.

"I need to find out how to get the Talisman out of its chest or we'll still have the risk," Nine pointed out to his friend. He briefly hesitated as the twins rushed into the workshop. Then he continued, "I need to return to the Scientist's Workshop and see if there's anything there that can explain how to use the Talisman. Or, at least, how to release it out of the port."

Five nodded in agreement, "There should be something somewhere that says- Wait, guys, we're using that for the cage!" Five called after the twins and cut off from his previous points. The twins stopped in the doorway and then nodded to the healer, gesturing out the door. "Oh… Okay, sure. I'll be out there to help in a minute," Five continued, somehow understanding the gist of what they were trying to say. He then addressed Nine again, "If anyone, Father would know about it… But I don't think you should go alone, and I can't really- You know."

He gestured to the Fabrication to punctuate his point. "No, I understand," Nine reassured, "and I can wait until after the cage is done too. I don't want to leave while things need doing."

"Actually, the sooner the better," Five insisted. "I-I mean, it's not going to stay unconscious forever, and I don't want you to risk going at dark… Maybe you should just wait until tomorrow. I can try to wire his front's clasps closed."

"Don't even bother. This can't wait," Nine reassured his friend. "I'm going regardless, so if you and Two can start on the door, then I'll hurry there and back before it wakes… I just don't want to leave everyone if I'm needed." In a way, he was relieved that the one eyed male was assuring him to go. After what just happened, Nine needed a few minutes away from the Cathedral. He knew it seemed selfish, but he truly did, and clung to the thought that he was needed elsewhere. "I'll hurry back."

"Be careful," Five warned with a worried smile before looking down at the Fabrication.

"You too," Nine also warned before turning and heading out of the Workshop. Two and Seven were still busy with Cat, the twins were beginning on the cage, and he doubted that One, Eight, or Six would join him. He announced to the lot of them, "I'm going to the Scientist's Workshop to find out how to remove the Talisman from the Machine's port. I won't be gone long, but someone should probably help Five and the twins." At this, Eight gave a nod, stood, and headed to the birdcage.

"Be brief. We need everyone here," One commanded him, "but what is more dire is getting the Talisman free of that monster's grasp." As though the younger didn't already know. He started over towards the cage, most likely to monitor the work being done.

"Check his workbench," Two called over from his spot on the floor. "Father kept his most important writings within arm's reach." Nine nodded in agreement and hurried out the Cathedral's front door. Before he could fully leave, however, he heard rapid footsteps.

"Wait!" Nine turned around with a start at Six's cry. The Artist still looked flustered, but his gaze was focused once more. "Let me come with you, please."

"I don't know, Six…" He had seen how distressed the striped male had gotten. "I think you should head upstairs and get a few minutes to calm down. That was… Pretty terrifying." He reached out and laid his hand on Six's shoulder. "I might be out after dark. I know you're not going to want that," Nine tried to coax further with a warm smile. In reality, he was on edge, and didn't want to put the artist in unneeded danger.

"I-I'll be okay… Please. I need to come. Maybe I can help," Six assured with a quiet resolve. He wouldn't be budged from this decision. "I can't do anything here. Let me do this."

"Alright, alright," Nine agreed, seeing that the Artist was about to get worked up. "Just… We need to be quick, okay? I don't want to leave everyone for too longer. Not when everything's so uncertain." Six nodded in understanding and boldly offered his hand. Nine stared at it blankly for a moment before he realized what he wanted. "Oh! Right, sure," Nine said with a lopsided smile. He reached out and took Six's hand in an affectionate hold. The Artist smiled back, still wavering, and quickly led the zippered male out of the Cathedral.

Nine didn't know what he was more worried about; what he would find when he got there or what he would find when he got back. He wouldn't outright say it, but he was glad that he wasn't alone.

Or maybe he was just glad not to leave Six alone near the false Stitchpunk.

* * *

 **Mable: The risk is not over. Just because it is briefly sedated doesn't mean that it will stay asleep forever, and when it awakens the threat will return. The Stitchpunks actions now are vital for their survival, but you probably already know that.  
The next chapter will be posted as soon as I can finish it. I hope you enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23: The Scientist's Message

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! It's time for a few more answers, perhaps… But maybe 9 isn't ready for what he's going to hear? Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Three: The Scientist's Message_

It wasn't until Nine started to climb the steps to the Scientist's Workshop that he remembered what he had forgotten.

Suddenly, he spun around and stopped the striped Artist behind him. "Wait," Nine suddenly blurted out, taking the shorter male off guard. Six took an awkward step back to keep from running right into him. "Why don't you let me go first and check around? I'll call to you if everything's safe," Nine suggested. This was somewhat of a lie; he really didn't want him to see the body inside of the room. Not now that he knew the truth about who the man was.

"Are you sure?" Six asked quietly. His look of confusion briefly looked suspicious, as though he suddenly caught on to what Nine was doing. "Isn't it… more dangerous if I'm out here alone?"

Nine gave him an awkward smile, "Not if you stay on the steps. I'll be only a couple of minutes." He gave him an assuring pat on the shoulder and started to climb the stairs. He stepped back into the Scientist's Workshop with both apprehension and determination. There had to be something here that could give him the answers he needed. Though before he went to look, he sent a sympathetic look towards the old man laying on the floor, no longer covered in as many papers.

Before, he had known him only as a casualty, but now he knew him as his creator. He crossed closer to him and looked to his empty face with bubbling sadness. He didn't even know this man, but he had created him, and that made him something spectacular. Nine tentatively reached out and touched his cold forehead, inwardly shuddering at how lifeless he felt. _"I wish I could've met you…"_ The others loved him so much; there had to be a reason why. With a sigh, the Stitchpunk glanced along his body, down his sprawled arm, and only through this noticed something odd.

Some sort of box seemed to be resting by the Scientist's hand. Nine seemed to recall a cluster of papers there before and, seeing it now, realized that the box had been unintentionally hidden. He tugged it out from the human's grip to get a better look, and only now noticed a tag that had a single '9' on it.

This was what he had missed.

Nine eagerly lifted the tree emblemed lid and looked in at the odd mechanism waiting inside of the box. On the back was a semi-reflective, but rather dusty, surface with the word 'hope' printed at the bottom. After he opened the box, the mechanism inside activated and a light was sent over the box. Nine watched in awe as an imagine of his creator appeared in the light.

" _Greetings, Nine,_ " the Scientist's recording began. Nine withheld a gasp and continued to watch, "Father…"

" _It had such promise, my great machine. It was meant to be an instrument of progress. Of creation. That was the agreement our Chancellor failed to honor. Though the fault is hardly his alone to bear… The Machine was born purely of my intellect. Which I now know was not enough… My creation was hopelessly flawed, indeed. Dangerous, for it lacked a human soul, and could be easily corrupted by those who controlled it."_

Nine briefly let this sink in. This was the unintentional answer to a question he wasn't asking about the Machine. However, the Scientist wasn't done.

" _That is why I am making each of you. You're all that's left of humanity. You are all the pieces of my soul. Together, you and this device shall protect the future,"_ the Scientist explained as he revealed the Talisman in his hand. Nine's optics focused in on the item. _"Look closely and remember what you see."_ With that, he pressed the buttons of Talisman in a sort of pattern. Then he set it aside and tiredly rubbed his face. The recording ended abruptly and the room went silent.

As the projection ended, Nine was left standing dumbstruck. He stared ahead into the box, at the single word, and considered what all this information meant now. Now that everything had been changed so much. He reached forward and brushed his arm along the surface to wipe away the dust and reveal the mirror underneath. Was the reflection supposed to be hope? Was he supposed to give hope? Everything that his creator had said seemed so clear… But to what means? He wiped away the grim and saw himself, the workshop, and Six.

Six had seen it all.

Nine gasped and spun around, "Six!" There he was, the Artist, standing only a little way away and staring with equal surprise to Nine's own. His being from the message while Nine's was by his presence. "Six, I asked you- I told you to stay outside," Nine blurted out. Six sent a glance over to the Scientist and his shocked look fell into one of sadness. Nine swore that the pain in his chest was from something breaking, but he was sure that Stitchpunks didn't have hearts.

With slow steps, Six approached the box that contained the message for Nine. Nine didn't understand until the Artist dropped to his knees in front of it, staring at the keyhole. He eyed it with the same sorrow, his fingers lightly tapping on his key in nervousness, and then he pulled the metal item off. Before Nine could ask, Six tried his key in the lock. To the former's immediate surprise, the key fit perfectly. Six closed his optics immediately and hung his head.

"It was my key," the Artist murmured as he let his hands drop. "He gave me the key to all of his secrets, to his final message, but I didn't even know…" His voice choked in a sob as he covered his face with his ink stained hands, "And now it's too late!"

Nine couldn't bear hearing as Six began to weep into his hands. Black fluid began to dribble down his wrists and along the stripes that traced his arm. "Oh Six…" Nine staggered forwards and knelt on one knee. "Six, I'm so sorry. I… I didn't want you to know." He hated admitting it, but he hated to see Six hurt even more. "I just-… I'm so, so sorry."

Six raised his head, revealing the ink that was leaking down from his optics and trying to stain his face. "It's not your fault, Nine… I could've come back… I should've come back- Oh Papa, I'm so sorry!" When Nine pulled him closer, Six allowed himself to collapse against his chest and cry. He dipped in and out of hysterics as Nine tried to keep himself from joining. He had to be strong for the Artist; he couldn't fall to pieces.

"Nine…" Six choked out, his fingers digging into Nine's burlap, and pressing his face into him. "Never go. Never leave me." It was an odd request, but Nine eagerly agreed.

"I won't, Six, I promise." He pressed his face into his soft yarn. "I… I won't ever leave you… I promise."

It was a while before Six was comfortable enough to calm down. He wiped away his tears on his arms and headed over to his Creator's body. He crouched down by his face and laid against his forehead.

"I'm… Going to look around a little more," Nine suggested and Six nodded silently. "You'll be okay?"

"I'll be okay," the artist quietly assured. The zippered male didn't know if he believed this, but he needed to look around and keep looking for clues. It didn't take long before he found it either. The Scientist's notes and journals were spread all around the workshop, so it wasn't long before Nine found one of interest. One that related to both the Machine and the Chancellor with an unexpected link.

"Six, can I read this to you?" Nine called back in questioning. There was some shuffling before the Artist wandered over by his side, still looking worse for wear. Nine sent him a sympathetic look as he spread out the journal entry. "Look at this…" He knelt down and read out loud, "Today the newspapers announced the Chancellor's vision, a vision I wholeheartedly denounce. The Fabrication Machine. There is no possible way that it has been tested properly. No way that it is ready to begin mass producing... no way that it can deliver on the lofty promises of our, dare I say, power hungry Chancellor."

"The Chancellor had the Machine?" Six asked quietly.

"He did… And it sounds like he started the factory," Nine pointed out. "I don't know if this changes anything… But if the rest of the notes are correct-," he stood and looked around, "then he had a big part in what happened to the world…" Silence overtook them both and Nine sighed. "We should head back. I think we have all we need… Are you ready to go?" His face was full of worry. Six looked upwards at him and sluggishly nodded. They then started back to the door.

Halfway there, Six fell behind, and Nine looked back to see him. "Six?" The Artist was now crouched down beside another note. "What is it?"

"Let's take this one," he volunteered, quickly folding the paper before Nine could read it. "And this one." Nine wasn't sure why Six chose these two notes, but he folded them under his arm. Then he put an arm around the shorter and led him out of the attic.

* * *

When the Fabrication awoke, it stared upwards at a roof of tools and tugged tightly at secures binds of leather around its body. They knew it was liable to be frantic when awakening and, as expected, it did so exactly. It began to thrash and kick on the cot. It arched its back and struggled to release its machine limbs, but the extra arms were trapped. Two and Five, who were standing at the workbench trying to plan their birdcage ideas, rushed over to the being's side. Five checked the leather bonds while Two tried to somewhat calm the being.

"Stop thrashing, or you'll hurt yourself," Two pointed out with a somewhat softer tone. "We won't sedate you again if you just calm down." Yet the Fabrication was defiant in its actions. It thrashed further, trying to kick at Five's hands, and called out in an unintelligible language. It was partially the language that Cat spoke to the Machine, but most of it was a slur of shrieking and mechanical noises. It was frantically yelling and, occasionally, Two heard what he thought was an insult being thrown at them both.

It was then that, with terrible timing, Cat suddenly appeared in the doorway. Two's reaction immediately went to him and he rushed over. "Cat, stop. You shouldn't be in here. Please," Two was begging. He didn't want to have to fight with an overtaken Cat again, nor did he want to upset him further.

Unfortunately, the frantic Machine suddenly noticed what was happening, and his optics focused in. For a split second, his face contorted in emotion; in absolute shock. He knew that Cat had tricked him.

The yelling came again, but it was now aimed at Cat. Guttural, growling, hissing words that weren't understandable, spat at the former Beast. Both Two and Cat looked over and the latter responded immediately. His fists clenched and his head tilted down just a bit. The Inventor, meanwhile, gave an exhale before looking to Five.

"Don't worry about the binds, Five. Get the magnet; we can't do anything while he's this riled." The Fabrication Stitchpunk only thrashed more as Five went to get the magnet. In this instant, Two heard footsteps behind him and looked back to see Cat speedily walking off. "Cat?" he called after him in concern. Cat was obviously too distraught to be stopped, so Two simply let him go.

With the magnet out, Two held the Machine's upper body as Five started to apply the magnet. For a few more moments it fought, but then its grip started to loosen as its optics turned to static. "…Alright, that's enough," Two forewarned his apprentice. "Let's not put his all the way out if it's unneeded." The healer wasn't sure what he thought about this, but nodded and removed the magnet before setting it aside. Now sedated, the Machine was forced into a relaxed state, and stared at the roof in a daze.

"Now we aren't going to hurt you," Two reassured as he looked down at the being. It turned its head away defiantly. "We just need to make sure you won't hurt us. Once we get your… Place ready, then we will be able to take these binds off." It still looked away, riding out the magnet, and Two turned to Five. Both looked equally worried.

Right as Nine and Six were stepping into the Cathedral, Cat was hurrying out. He turned his head as not to make eye contact and disappeared out into the Emptiness. Nine and Six both sent confused looks at each other before, the zippered male gestured to the bucket lift.

"Why don't you head upstairs and get a little rest? I'm… Going to go tell Two about how it went," Nine suggested with a warm smile. Six gave a meek nod and Nine tugged him into a one-armed hug. He briefly held him close to his chest and pressed into his yarn. Six leaned back into it, silently accepting the comfort until they separated. The Artist gave him a small smile before heading to where the lift would've been. It seemed like someone coming down, from the movement of the ropes, and Six waited patiently.

Nine headed to the workshop after a few moments. Both Two and Five looked to him as he stepped through, though then sent relieved smiles. "You're back!" Five remarked as he crossed over to greet his friend. "Where's Six? He went with you, right?"

"Already heading upstairs," Nine remarked with a smile. Then his gaze shifted to the being on the medical cot. "How is everything going?"

"He's awake," Two confirmed with a nod. Then he turned to desperate inquires, hoping that Nine found an answer. "Did you find anything?"

"…Almost," Nine began as he approached the being. The Fabrication Stitchpunk noticed him coming and aggressive shocks of static rolled over its optics. "I found out some sort of combination for the talisman, but I don't know if it will work or not…" He reached out to turn the Machine over and it thrashed in response. Immediately, Five and Two moved in to secure it on the cot while Nine worked. Two held its upper body while Five was back to holding the legs. Nine, meanwhile, opened the Machine's front.

Even though Five suggested it, he hadn't wired the front closed like he had the clasps on the back. In the end this had been easier for Nine, who was able to easily get it open and see the Talisman. He expected it to open like before, but the Fabrication seemed determined not to. As though to keep it shut in so that Nine couldn't pluck it out. He still knew the combination and eagerly pressed in the buttons, which were much more tense but still responded. Unexpectedly, the Talisman burst open with the light again, and the Machine's optics closed tightly.

Not understanding what he had done but accepting the opportunity, Nine grabbed ahold of the Talisman and started to yank at it. It took a few tugs, causing the machine to nearly fall off the cot. Then, the Talisman released from the port, and Nine fell backwards onto the floor in a heap. He barely noticed One now standing in the doorway, but was more focused on the Talisman that promptly closed in his hands.

"Finally!" Nine cried out in relief as his face broke into a smile. He unzipped himself and eagerly shoved it inside.

"Ah, yes, because it won't be found in there," One remarked with a roll of his optics as he crossed to the cot. "What is that thing doing awake?"

Two gave a patient sigh and Five gave a choke, him noticing that the Fabrication's leg had slipped free. He wrestled with it. "We've got him under control!" Five assured, all the while the Machine was actively trying to kick at him. Two help him get the foot back under the leather binding before looking to One.

"We were just getting the Talisman free and trying to calm him down. There's no reason that we should sedate him when we don't have to," Two tried to explain with a reassuring smile, looking to Nine as he stood. "And well done! I knew you would be able to figure it out!"

"Well, it wasn't really me. It was a message that the- that our father left me," Nine assured and Two's optics widened in interest. He moved in closer and continued to inquire.

"Really? What else did the message say?" Before Nine could explain, One interrupted the conversation.

"With it now out, I believe it's time that we discussed what we are going to do with this thing," One explained and looked to the three. The Fabrication looked upwards at the leader with a piercing gaze, but stayed completely silent. "We don't need the birdcage, I assume." Everyone knew what One was implying. However, it was Two who dared to give an answer.

"I was thinking about that very thing, One… The Machine has done terrible things in the war, created horrific beasts, so we can't just ignore what happened…" At first, One believed that Two was about to agree with his suggestion. However, Two quickly proved him wrong. "So, I believe that we should have a trial and come to an agreement on what we will do."

"What is there to agree on?" One asked with a scoff. "We've all seen what it has done."

"Yes, we have… But we should still do a trial," Two insisted. "We want to be civilized, we want to be fair, then we can't afford to just sentence people without a proper trial."

"But he is not a Stitchpunk. He is a violent _monstrosity_ that started the war that destroyed our world!" One brought his staff down on the floor of the workshop, furious at the mere assumption that he was disagreeing. "Once again, Two, you prove yourself too soft towards something that only vaguely resembles a Stitchpunk."

Nine and Five watched the scene with baited breaths and wondered if it would deteriorate into a yelling match yet again. The Fabrication continued to stare down One with its bright red optics. Static still coursed over its optics as its angry gaze narrowed in on One alone.

"I just think that we should get the others' opinions before making a rash decision. If you have not noticed, we are a group with more than one person making decisions," Two replied. Then he stated, quieter but a bit more firmly, "I may be soft, One, but you are rash."

"I must be rash. I am leader," One snipped right back, "and what I say is law."

"That may be so, but-… One, please," Two gave a soft sigh and stepped closer. His patience was astounding as he reached out to put his hand on One's shoulder. One looked alarmed and suddenly recoiled from the touch as though it had burned his fabric. He stepped out of the way as Two stared at him in confusion. "…One?"

"I know your angle, Two," One suddenly accused, his voice quieter and filled with a sort of hesitance. Then he continued out the door without another word.

Nine and Five stared in alarm before the one-eyed male spoke. "That way, uh… A little unexpected. He left pretty quickly… Two?" Five's remark changed to confusion as Two briskly brushed by and headed out through the curtain.

"And what would be my angle, One?" Two inquired as he hurriedly followed the retreating leader. One looked back over his shoulder with an accusing narrowing of his optics. He couldn't simply walk away from the short inventor.

"You can't keep a conversation going without somehow finding a trick to put yourself in a position of power," One called back to him before stopping and turning on him. "You're always toying with my emotions," One scowled at Two who was left dumbstruck. For a few moments, Two simply stared in alarm, and then he exploded.

" _I'm_ playing with _your_ emotions?!" Two snapped in exasperation. "One, when you aren't acting like you wish I was gone, you're acting borderline-… romantic! If there is anyone playing with anyone's emotions, it is you playing with mine!" Almost immediately, Two regretted saying what he did. Suddenly it was out in the open that he had noticed the older's behavior. One's optics widened and slight color settled on his cheeks; he was absolutely mortified.

"I-!" One began, but then cut off as he noticed the curtain opening. When his optics went past, Two knew that Five or Nine was peering out, and he knew that the explanation would be cut short. " _We_ will continue this later this evening… But if you insist, then fine. We will have a trial for the Machine. Just keep that thing confined until then." Then he turned, with a splay of his cape, and headed towards the bucket lift where Eight was already waiting.

"I don't suppose I'll ever see him again," Two muttered with a soft chuckle. He regained his compositor before returning into the workshop. "Sorry about that. Now then, where were we?"

"We were at me asking you and Five for a favor," Nine sheepishly admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's about that project for Six…"

* * *

Six perked as he heard footsteps approach his cubby and sat upwards in bed. He had simply decided to lay down and rest, as he had yet to really recover from the trip to the workshop. He just didn't feel up to drawing or socializing and that left him with limited options. That was, until Nine strode in. Six looked back towards the Stitchpunk, who seemed to be trying to carry something behind him. However, whatever it could be was either too heavy or awkward to carry behind him without a little struggle.

"What's that?" Six asked in confusion and Nine smiled in response.

"You'll see… But close your eyes first, so I can get it set up," Nine suggested. Six was only more curious by the suggestion, but did so, and covered his optics for a greater measure. He could hear Nine walk around the room, moving something wooden, and arranging something nearby. He fought the urge to peer out at what was happening around him. Then, after a few moments, Nine walked back to him with an eager smile. "Alright. It's all ready. Take a look."

Six opened his mismatched optics and looked over to where Nine was gesturing. He then could see what he had set up, and the Artist's mouth dropped open in surprise. There was a wooden easel. It was perfectly sized for a Stitchpunk and built almost exactly like the one he had seen at the painting store. He wandered in, optics full of awe, and looked over it in disbelief. "You… How…?"

"Five and Two helped a lot with measuring, planning, and cutting the wood," Nine admitted, "but I saw how much you liked the one we saw and I wanted to make you one that you could use. Do you like it?" He smiled hopefully and awaited a positive answer. He wasn't disappointed.

A beaming smile of joy spread across Six's face. "I like- I love it! It's perfect!" He touched over the wooden frame with interest, "Oh, and it's sturdy! It's going to work _perfectly!_ I could even- I could start painting, I could work anywhere-!" He turned towards Nine with his same smile and hurried over, taking him in a tight hug. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you like it," the zippered male sheepishly admitted. A blush had seized his face and was very evident on his facial features. "I just… After earlier, I wanted to see you smiling again." He was embarrassed to admit it, but he wanted to be completely honest. Just seeing Six happy, if even for a moment, made it all worth it.

"T-Thank you, Nine. I'll- Maybe I'll draw you something amazing on it," Six offered in return as he started to move back. Before he could move far, Nine's arms slipped around him to capture him in his own embrace.

"I would love that," Nine quipped back with a lopsided smile, then hugged the small artist closer.

Suddenly, Nine was glad that he shared the experience with him earlier. Just as much as he was glad that he had already started the work on the easel before now. What happened earlier had hurt dearly, but he already felt closer to Six. This was something that they witnessed together and now they would try to end the night on a happier note.

For now, they would forget about everything outside of the room, and they would quietly mourn and comfort each other together.

* * *

 **Mable: Hey, uh, just remember that I would be very thankful if you would leave reviews! They don't have to be too long, but just to know that the chapter is getting read. ^-^ The next chapter will be posted whenever I can get it finished. I hope you enjoyed!**


	24. Chapter 24: His Dove, her Cat

**Mable: This chapter is way overdue, but I just couldn't get it right until now. Unfortunately, this also slowed down my request fics. *Awkward chuckle* Uh… Yikes. Though I'm not giving up! April's been rough. I won't say why, but if you were around last April then I probably mentioned what's going on. Today in particular has been a semi-uncomfortable anniversary, but… It makes me feel better to write. In fact, that might be what got this chapter out. It gave me the push to finish. So that's good.**

 **Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Four: His Dove, her Cat_

The moment that it got back to Seven that Cat had headed out into the Emptiness, she was after him. She didn't care that night had fallen, she just wanted to try and catch up with him. To her misfortune, he wasn't at the Library, and it soon turned into a much longer search. He had not just left to get air; Cat had clearly left to be entirely alone. Yet Seven knew from experience that this wasn't always the best idea. Or perhaps she was just too worried to leave him be. Impatience nagged at her and drove her into her lengthening search.

The moon glowed with a dull light over the Emptiness. The world was drenched in a soft blue, with pockets of silver light falling onto the road. It was as though the world was in a standstill; captured in the light and untouched by anyone or anything. The sound of distant wind whistled and hummed through the destroyed city, but she couldn't feel the breeze. It was almost suffocating, how the buildings encircled and blocked off the rest of the world from view. There was no sight of Cat or even the remnants of a footprint.

Eventually Seven concocted the idea to head towards the factory. As it was, it was the only place that Cat knew as a home other than the Cathedral and the Library, and it was only more accessible now that the Machine wasn't all there. She began the long trek to the factory, but she didn't make it all the way. When approaching the trench outside of the factory, she was struck by a new sort of sound lulling over the Emptiness. To her surprise, it was clearly some sort of music. She only spotted the source after crossing the bridge.

Against a small, wooden structure, open to the elements, sat a phonograph. On the edge of the phonograph, sitting with his head dropped forwards and his body unmoving, was Cat lost in his own sulking. Seven immediately gave an exhale of relief. _"Thank goodness!"_ She had started to worry that he had gone farther than she was going to be able to go. That she wouldn't be able to find and retrieve him. She started to break into a slower job as she approached the phonograph, comforted by the soft sound of singing.

"There you are!" Seven called out as she came to a stop underneath him. She gave a small huff and stuck her spear into the ground, one hand on her hip. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" Cat looked down at her. He didn't seem too surprised to see her, but slightly tilted his head. "Where have you been?"

"Here," Cat responded honestly. "Just thought I'd spend the night alone, listening to depressing music." He gave a slight shrug as though this was a joke, but his slight smile wasn't seeable from his helmet, and even if it was, he sounded too exhausted to be convincing.

"When were you planning on coming back?" Seven inquired, raising a dainty brow and pursing her lips.

"…Never," Cat answered in a both blunt and somewhat restrained way. It was as though he anticipated Seven to flip at the answer. Instead, Seven gave a sigh and briefly dropped her head, all the while Cat watched curiously. Then she stepped forwards and climbed onto the phonograph beside him. He offered a claw and she used it to help hoist herself up beside him. She got herself comfortable and took a few moments before she decided to continue the conversation any further.

"What happened?" the warrior inquired. She wanted to know what everything stood before starting to intervene. To keep him comfortable, she rested his hand on his, hoping to lull him into speaking.

"He found out…" Cat gave a small, dry chuckle. "He found out quicker than I thought he would. Should've expected it." He reached upwards to adjust his shoulder armor. "It was either staying and listening to his calls or leaving. I think I made the right choice."

"I agree," Seven added in, "but I think you went about it the wrong way."

"I did?" Cat looked to her directly. "How's that?"

"You should've asked me to come with you. I could've used the excuse to stretch my legs, and I ended up out here looking for you anyway," Seven reminded him a bit more firmly. She frowned at the thought. "Everyone's worried about you. You could've said something before rushing off…" She removed her hand and averted her gaze to the bridge as she added, "You could've at least told me."

"My Dove, you were worried about me!" Cat perked immediately and laid a claw to his chest. "I'm honored!"

"Don't start with that," Seven quipped back as she tried to suppress the slight blush on her face. It was so conflicting, both wanting him to know that she cared and also wanting to restrain herself.

"Why not? Shouldn't I notice when my Dove cares?" Cat teasingly asked, putting an obvious emphasis on 'my'.

"I'm not your Dove, Cat. This isn't even a dove's skull that I'm wearing," Seven remarked matter-of-factly as she continued to try and keep a healthy distance. She didn't want him thinking that he made her weak. "I think I preferred it when you couldn't talk," she sighed. He gave another chuckle and a partial purr in response. However, she did notice how brief it was. Usually, Cat would be relishing in her slightest slip of affection, but that lack of sound gave away more than he probably expected it to.

"That makes two of us," Cat playfully remarked. After a chuckle, it slipped into a short exhale, and he looked away afterwards. "I thought I'd get a little longer before his instant hate set in."

Seven knew it was time to set aside her feelings and do what she came here to do; comfort Cat. She faced him again and laid a hand on his shoulder. "He doesn't hate you, Cat. If… If he's like you said before, then he does feel a closeness to you." She didn't know this. In fact, she could easily believe that the Fabrication Machine felt no affection or sympathy. However, this wasn't about her opinions or her being right. It was about calming Cat down and getting him home. "He's angry now, but that's not surprising considering the circumstance."

"He's not the forgiving type," Cat lamented as he reached upwards to fiddle with his helmet. She thought he was adjusting it, so she was slightly surprised when he took it off entirely and dropped it down onto the dirt. With his head and face free, he began to massage them with his claws. Seven took this advantage to reacquaint himself with his helmetless form. She had seen it perhaps once, but never had an opportunity like this to just study his features. His facial features were clearly more masculine and the seam on the back of his head was lopsided, but he looked like a normal Stitchpunk.

The eyes were the only thing that countered this assumption. Their constant change between neutral and jagged pupils gave away that he wasn't fully Stitchpunk on the inside. Of course, she already knew this, but suddenly focused on it and him now. He had such peculiar details about him. Seven considered her own actions before coming to a surprising revelation; she wanted to return the favor. She wanted to have him as focused on her as she was on him. Thus, she slipped off her helmet, and ignored the almost naked feeling as she sat it alongside her.

Indeed, his eyes now came to focus on her. They brimmed with curiosity and interest, and just something else, something slight, that she couldn't give proper words too. As though he was totally enraptured by how she looked without her helmet, even though he had clearly seen it before. That previous despair slipped as he looked to her. Again, she felt a tinge of self-consciousness and turned her head away.

"I could go without you staring at me like that," Seven pointed out. Thankfully, the glow that wanted to spread to her face was suppressed. "You've already seen me without my helmet on."

"You took your skull off for me. You _are_ my dove," Cat pointed out. It was then that, finally, the purring returned. The soft vibrations in his chest were clearly audible. Yet the comment itself got a snicker out of her.

Seven recovered and decided to inquire further. "Why are you so determined to make me your Dove?" Her lips then slipped into a simple smile. "No offense, Cat, but I don't think you could handle me enough to even try owning me. How would you like it if I started claiming to own you, considering that I have both pinned you and started to 'train' you?" She purposefully wanted to rile him. She got an unexpected response.

"I think I'd like that," Cat purred in response. "I wouldn't mind being yours."

Seven didn't think that Cat understood the implications of what he was saying. He couldn't possibly understand what he was suggesting and, instead, saw it basically as a beast would see it. He saw her as a companion and, considering his relationship with the Machine, saw value in being close with someone. That had to be it, because if he was suggesting something more, Seven didn't know how she would react.

She didn't correct him and instead just stared at him. She waited for a chuckle or a catty smile, but Cat was unbelievably sincere. The moment she realized this, the heat hit her face in full force. Her pulse quickened, she felt anxious, and she looked forward, staring out at the Emptiness instead of him. She identified an almost weak feeling and didn't exactly know how to deal with it.

Cat purred again and reached out to lay his hand on her back. His claws were surprisingly gentle over her patch, and his touch was surprisingly feathery. As though he was too afraid to touch her any harder on her exposed back. It was through these motions that Seven suddenly felt a growth of a warming sensation. Along her back, through her chest, and felt her mind abuzz with a sort of daring idea. After all, he had suggested this entire line of thought.

"Cat…" Seven turned to face him before reaching out. Her smaller hand caressed his chin, free from being hidden by the skull's 'mouth' piece. Her fingers lightly traced over his rough burlap and teasingly brushed in a scratching motion. "Do you trust me that much, Cat?" Then the warrior awaited his answer. He covered her small hand with his own and gave a short nod instead of a verbal answer. At that moment, Seven leaned in.

In a sudden rush, Seven's lips had claimed Cat's.

Cat didn't immediately react back, seemingly unsure of what they were doing. Seven continued to keep the kiss intact for a few seconds. Those few moments were thrilling and bubbling with something passionate. Something that Seven herself hadn't identified until this very moment. Everything seemed to fade out in the world around them and she took in the bizarrely enticing sensation. Towards the end, his lips did move against hers, trying to learn from her own kissing and mimicking it relatively well.

Then, finally, she drew herself back and looked to Cat for his reaction. It was blank; stunned. She looked away, eyes closed, bright green light glowing on her face. "What do you think? Are you ready for something like this?" Seven challenged in a soft tone. She then awaited his answer quietly, not certain what answer she was hoping for.

Cat didn't know if he could vocally express his reaction. It was hard enough now to translate thoughts into words, but it became only more difficult to translate raw emotions to thoughts and then to words. Eventually, he decided to try.

"Seven…" She felt a shiver along her spine. She couldn't remember if he had ever called her by her name and not the title he gave her. Something about it was almost too intimate and suddenly she knew she was in too deep. What had she been thinking opening herself to him in such a physical way? Now he knew exactly what haunted the back of her mind; an unknown desire that she had been happy in ignoring before the arrival and transformation of Cat himself. She slowly looked to him and he reached for her.

Like Seven had done to him, Cat took her cheek into his claw and slid further to close the space between them. Soon his breath was on her lips. His optics were intense; staring directly into hers with the occasional slow blink. Then he answered her with one, final, firm word.

"Yes."

Their lips were back together once again. It lasted longer, was warmer, and their lips moved more clearly together. They both knew what they wanted this time, so there was little questioning or hesitation. Nothing except the brilliant burst of simple pleasure that involved nothing more than fabric touching fabric.

Seven hadn't even expected this when coming to find Cat. However, she didn't regret it.

* * *

It wasn't until sunrise started to creep over the Emptiness that Seven realized they had fallen asleep. Soon after the kiss, and the following kiss as well, they had moved onto the ground and had decided to lay together in the grass. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, even after Cat had fallen asleep and she made no attempt to wake him. Yet she did and they had slept through the night. As she turned away from his eager grip and looked to the sky, she realized how long they had been gone. There was no way that the others couldn't have noticed their absence.

"Cat," Seven quietly murmured as she prodded his chest. He responded by clinging a little tighter around her middle. The grass around them rustled with their slight movements. While the folded blades underneath them didn't make the most comfortable bed, Seven did appreciate the more natural aspect of the chosen bed. It certainly felt somewhat significant to lie in one of the few patches of grass that seemed to have fully regrown in the city. Usually she would have to leave the entire area to find real greenery.

"Cat, wake up. It's morning," Seven coaxed as she suppressed a yawn. It got away from her eventually as she stretched out her body and worked out the kinks from sleeping on the ground. "The others will be wondering about us. We need to get back… And come up with a good enough story so that they don't jump to conclusions." Seven was completely serious, but this roused a tired chuckle out of Cat. She nudged him again, "Now come on. You need to get up."

With a groggy groan, Cat finally released Seven and allowed her to stand to her feet. He sluggishly followed suit and sat upwards in the grass, looking out towards the factory. Everything had gone silent now that the Machine's consciousness was out of its body. It was just as quiet as it had been while he was still sleeping. Giving a tired exhale, he kneaded his claws into the shoulder he had been laying on, trying to work out the tension. He was interrupted when Seven offered him his helmet with a small smile. She had already put her own on.

"Let's get going, Tom Cat," Seven encouraged with a playful smile. "I hope you slept well, because we're going to need to hurry if we want to get home before One notices."

Cat gave an amused smirk, "One already knows. He'll be waiting by the lift when we get there."

"We have to take that risk, because I need to get home and clean off the smell of dirt," Seven remarked as she brushed off some of the dust that clung to her side. He pushed off the ground and approached, putting an affectionate arm around her and pressing their helmets together with a purr. She was used to the affection, but after last night his affection felt more intense, and she felt a delighted tremble along her back.

"Did we ever decide if you were mine, I was yours, or we are ours?" Cat playfully asked with a sort of banter in his tone.

"I think we're still in the process of deciding," Seven remarked back with a small smirk. "We'll just have to see."

Indeed, they would have to wait and see. Neither had any clue what they were starting, but neither was willing to denounce it. In the meantime, they started back towards the Cathedral.

* * *

With the planned 'trial' arriving soon and both Seven and Cat only just getting back, Nine and Five were in the workshop waiting for a signal to gather the Fabrication. It had been moved from the workshop into the bird cage only late in the night before, but it still seemed just as cold towards any of them. They took turns peering out at it, watching as it sat against the bars of its small cell and waited for its own trial. It hadn't made any attempts to escape so far, but this could've been because they locked the cage with an actual padlock.

Nine gave a slow exhale as he checked the Fabrication again, "Did Two say how we were going to do this?" He let the curtain shut and looked to Five, who was mending the cloak that the Fabrication had discarded during the fight the day before. "What were human trials like?"

"From what I know, and I've only gotten this from books," Five began, "someone accuses and someone defends the person. Then the judge makes his call on which side is right."

"If One is the judge, then this whole thing is pointless," Nine remarked as he dropped onto a wooden bench. "Think about it; when has One ever changed his mind about anything? I haven't known him as long as you have and already I know that he's stubborn." This got an awkward chuckle from Five.

"Yeah, that's a problem. Maybe Two will have all of us decide, like a jury. One's… He's also overconfident. If he thinks that everyone will agree with him then he'll agree to a sort of jury. Which means that we'll give our decision and the majority wins." The healer set the needle aside and looked over the cloak. "Uh… So, should we give this to him? I thought maybe it would help keep him calm. It's just an idea, but if you think it's foolish…"

"No, no. I think that's a great idea," Nine encouraged as he stood. "We need the Machine to stay calm. It could still put up a fight if it gets too frantic."

"I guess…" Five glanced to the curtain. "I just… I don't feel safe around it. Not now that it recognizes me. I… I'm sort of… Hesitant to approach it." The one-eyed male admitted this sheepishly as he fiddled with the cloak in his hands.

"We aren't going to let it hurt anyone," Nine assured, laying a hand on his shoulder. "…But if it makes you feel better, I'll give it to him myself." Five hesitated a moment, considering this, then offered his own solution.

"Maybe we could just go together?" he asked with a small smile. Nine agreed to this eagerly and the two headed out of the workshop and approached the waiting birdcage. The Fabrication was still seated against the bars, but turned to stare down the approaching Stitchpunks, forewarning them of what was to come. This may have caused a hitch in Five's steps, but Nine continued ahead. He didn't want to give the Machine the indication that he was afraid; less it try to use this fear to its own advantage.

Without a word, Nine handed the cloak over. The Fabrication scrutinized the gesture for a few moments before hesitantly reaching for the cloak and dragging it away. Once Nine released it, he quickly pulled it over his body and shuffled to the center of the cage. He still watched them, though now had his head obscured underneath his retrieved cloak.

"Five mended it, so you should thank him," Nine pointed out with a largely neutral tone. He decided to keep it a comment and suggestion alone, and little more.

"O-Oh, no problem!" Five blurted out with an awkwardly forced smile. "I just- I needed something to do anyway." Though it was too late; the Fabrication was now staring at him again. This time it was joined by Nine, who seemed amused by the healer's awkwardness. The one-eyed male rubbed his arm as he looked for a distraction. It then came in the form of the lowering bucket lift. "Someone's coming down. Probably Two."

Nine turned his attention to the bucket lift while the Fabrication turned away again. It took brief refuge underneath its cloak, but it was obvious from the Stitchpunks who approached that this wouldn't last. Leading was a grim faced Two and following was a stern faced Eight. Both approached the cage, but while Eight stared down the Fabrication, Two looked to the two other Stitchpunks to explain.

"One is ready to start the trial. I suppose now is as good a time as any." While Two said this, it didn't sound like Two believed what he was saying. It sounded much too stilted in his delivery. Yet Nine and Five didn't argue with it and instead looked to the cage. They opened the door, but Eight was stopped before he could go inside. "We don't need to be drastic," Two insisted to the guard, holding his arm. He looked to Nine and Five, "Would you both escort him to the lift? I'm sure he would be much more comfortable with you both."

"W-What? Uh, if you're sure," Five uncomfortably answered with a height in his pitch.

"I'm not so sure, but we can try," Nine volunteered with a shrug before he turned to do so.

They cautiously entered the birdcage and went to slowly grab for the Fabrication. It responded suddenly, but instead of lashing out, it merely stood to full height and shrugged off their grip. The motion was very prideful as it stepped out of the cage. Though then its display was cut short by Eight's hand latching onto its upper arm. It was as though Eight wanted to remind him that he was a prisoner and then followed by nearly dragging it towards the lift. The Fabrication didn't fight and gave no impression of immediate fear.

To Two's amusement, it was acting a lot like One. He only wished that he could point this out to the leader to gain leniency. Knowing One, he would take it as an insult. They all climbed into the lift and started to raise into the Sanctuary. The silence was unimaginable.

Nine especially felt a heavy burden. As he watched Two and Five talk, he knew there were things he hadn't said about the Scientist's Workshop. The Fabrication was also watching them and silently waited for the end of the rise. He didn't notice when Nine started to stare at him, so he could freely do so. Though he then looked away. _"What would the Scientist want?"_ Nine asked himself as he stared out over the Cathedral, watching as it disappeared when they entered the shaft.

Then the answer came to him; the Scientist would've wanted his message to be heard. Nine would tell the others everything. Whatever it led to, they deserved the truth.

They all deserved nothing less than the truth.

* * *

 **Mable: I will try to get the next chapter finished much sooner than this one took. ^-^ Though, even if it is a little late, I can assure you that this trial… Will be quite an event, so I hope you stick around! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	25. Chapter 25: The Trial

**Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! I had this finished yesterday, but I wanted to give it a good once-over before I published it. I don't own 9, Enjoy!...**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Five: The Trial_

"The trial shall now begin!"

With this announcement, One struck his bell staff on the floor and then proceeded to settle into his throne. To his right side stood Eight, with his arms crossed and a stern look. The twins sat on the books the led to Eight's usual post. The other Stitchpunks stood sporadically around the throne room. Seven and Six by the entrance to his gallery, Two, Five, and Nine around the Fabrication, and Cat sitting on the bottom step of the stairs. Meanwhile, the Fabrication stood with a lowered head and wrists bound with thread.

"Three, Four, bring the charges to hand," One commanded with a quick snap of his fingers. Immediately the twins rushed over and presented him with a paper. He expected to recite an indefinitely long list of charges, so he was surprised at the relatively brief list. "Being charged with _treason_? I believe there's much more here than just treason," One pointed out. The scholars flickered their optics between each other. They had assumed that the leader wanted them to find one charge to cover everything, and treason was the closest to doing that.

"It's fine, it's fine. We are all very aware of what it did regardless. Technically, treason is one of the many, many charges at hand," One announced as he waved the twins down. He was obviously too eager to continue to wait through their continued word searching. Though the leader's smugness didn't give any of the Stitchpunks much confidence in how this trial would turn out, regardless of what side they were on with the manner. "Let us begin with what we do know. A society comprised of millions of humans was destroyed by the machines, and this one stands as the leader."

Before anyone could intervene, One changed his tone. "Of course, we cannot forget that it was a war scenario. That is why we are having a trial instead of an instant execution. We are all aware that the humans were not entirely innocent." Nine could only inwardly wonder if One had any idea about how much of that statement applied. He doubted that the male knew anything about what the Scientist knew. "We will begin with Two. Two, you may speak."

"Thank you," Two began and took a step forward. "I think that we've all seen enough death. We would all benefit more from something such as… A community service, you could say." Nobody was surprised by the Inventor's leniency. "We know from Cat that machines don't feel emotions when they are in their normal body, or don't understand them as well. Even the Fabrication Machine had a sort of programming long ago. Right now, this being standing with us is just like Cat was, and giving Cat that chance proved to be worthwhile."

"Except that Cat was the scout and he is the leader," One retorted matter-of-factly.

"One, you're the judge, I don't think that you're mean to debate," Two pointed out just as matter-of-factly. The leader narrowed his gaze in a mostly unenthused way.

"I'll do it," Seven suddenly announced and stepped forwards. Cat was a little surprised that she was stepping in to somewhat protest his creator, but had a feeling that she had a plan. There she stood, on the opposite side of the carpet from Two, and looked to the Inventor. "We need to remember that this isn't the same scenario as Cat was. Cat was- for lack of a better term- ignorant to emotions and free will. The Machine hasn't given any suggestion that its own morals were suppressed in any way. It knew what it was doing."

"Perhaps so, but it may not be the same for Machines. We must keep in mind that the machines were freely dismantled and rebuilt during the war. While it may understand the concept of a final death, does it truly understand the finality?" Two inquired to both of them.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that we can forget its crimes," Seven assured in One's place. Without One's smugness, the trial certainly did feel more balanced. The warrior, perhaps purposefully, kept all emotional opinions out of the conversation. Her immediate feelings were not apparent. Any bias towards or against the machine wasn't showing.

"I'm not asking to let him entirely off the hook. To just forgive him of everything is not plausible… But I feel like we can be fair in our decisions. We should give him the same chance that we gave Cat, especially now that he's capable of seeing things from our perspective," Two finished and wandered back to Five's side. "That is all I needed to say. Thank you for your time."

With him seemingly finished, One looked to the male beside him. "Five, you may say something," the leader offered with a beckon. For a split second, Five's anxiety kicked in and his hands wrung together. Two reached upwards to pat his shoulder in an assuring way, which seemed to help the one eyed male.

"I, uh… I was thinking that… I agree with Two," Five admitted. Nobody looked surprised and the healer felt the sudden urge to continue and prove that his opinion was his own. He briefly looked to the Fabrication; it did frighten him extensively, but he couldn't rightfully sentence it just yet. He was too willing to believe that maybe this thing was like Cat and could change. "We should give it the opportunity at least. If he did do something like community service, it could really benefit us too. It wouldn't just be us forgetting what happened in the past; we could both benefit from something like this."

"And you think that this thing will just help you?" One began, but then raised a hand. "Excuse me. Seven, your counter?"

"Thank you," Seven resisted the urge to roll her optics and looked to Five. "What would make him so eager to help his captors?"

"I… I can't speak for him, but I think he would be willing. Besides, it's doing things we do every day. Things that Two and I enjoy doing. Why would anyone resist?" Five knew it wasn't much of a defense. He also noticed that the Fabrication had its head slightly tilted, as though listening. It made him feel only more self-conscious. "Cat proved that machines can be trusted and can learn to live with us. We should at least give him a chance… I-I was face to face with the Fabrication Machine myself, but I'm willing to try."

Indeed, that memory was terrifying. Part of him felt relieved that keeping the Fabrication here would keep it away from its body, and even though he knew execution would be a permanent solution he couldn't stand the idea of killing anyone. He was a healer; he was created to heal, not to take life away. He could deal with the Fabrication if he knew that it wasn't at an advantage to attack them. He would deal with it if it could eventually learn how to be a Stitchpunk, like Cat had fully done. "That's just what I think…"

"Very well," One dismissed and now looked towards Six, seemingly switching to follows their numbers. "Six? Any comments?" His tone showed that he wasn't expecting much. Nobody really expected the artist to speak. The striped male looked to Nine and studied his assuring expression.

Six had a brief answer, "Not yet."

"Fine. Seven?" One looked to Seven.

"I want to stay impartial considering that I'm playing the accuser," Seven announced. So confident, so curt; even though Cat wasn't enjoying her role, he loved hearing her assert herself.

"Et tu Eight?" One inquired. Naturally, everyone assumed that Eight would stay quiet. However, the guard did not.

"I have something to say," Eight pointed out and looked to the others. "We're all saying, 'let's give it a chance', but who's to say this thing will keep its word? Cat owed Two his life, but the Machine owes us nothing." He paused for emphasis, but then continued again. "It could just pretend that its loyal and then sneak back off to the factory. This thing isn't stupid; it won a war against a species that was fighting in wars for thousands of years. It knows how to make a fool of us."

Unfortunately, nobody really had a good protest to this. It was very true; the Machine was smart enough to fool them. Though it currently didn't seem like it had any intention of doing so. It seemed too lethargic as it patiently listened to them going back and forth of what to do with him. Not even Two could defend this and had hoped that nobody would bring it up. He hoped it was a worry only he had.

It was time.

"That may be true, but there's one thing that it had towards the humans that it doesn't have towards us; motivation," Nine announced as he stepped forward into the center of the group. "There's… Something I need to say. Some things that I learned at the workshop that I need to reveal to you all. I don't want to say them… But I have to." Indeed, he already felt the words trying to stick in his voice module. They didn't want to be revealed.

"You may if Eight is finished," One answered and looked to the guard with questioning. The guard gave a quick nod; he knew that he had said all he needed to. Indeed, Eight had managed to singlehandedly throw more doubt on the Fabrication than Seven and One combined.

Nine wasn't here to defend the Fabrication. He was here to get his father's message revealed and after studying more of the journal entries that they brought home, he knew it applied. First, the painful part.

"…The Scientist is gone," Nine admitted with a softer tone. The results were immediate. Nobody questioned what he meant, because they all knew. Seven's optics widened and the twins sort of flinched in surprise, but then Three hunched over, shaking her head and covering her optics, as Four pulled her into a hug.

Nine could barely hear Five's, "Oh no, no…" Looking back briefly, he looked at Five's alarm and despair, and watched as Two pulled him into a one-armed embrace. Two looked saddened, but unsurprised.

Eight, shockingly, got a few seconds of alarm on his face, but then closed his optics and went stone faced again. He suppressed his emotions just as Seven was suppressing her own. Six, naturally, looked sad, but already knew of the Scientist's death. Cat didn't have much of a visible reaction, perhaps because of the helmet or maybe because of his limited knowledge of the Scientist. The Fabrication's reaction was subtle, but Nine soon noticed its clenched hands and knew it was reacting. Finally, there was One, who tried to keep a stern face. That stern face betrayed his saddened eyes.

"…But I fear it wasn't the Machine that killed him," Nine admitted, "but me." It was hard to admit this. "He created us with parts of his own soul… I was the last created, so I was what took the last of his life away… But I don't blame myself, because with every stitch, he wanted to create us. He did all he could to make us how he thought was best. He went through the risk because he wanted to create us… Just like the Machine, because he created the Machine to give hope to the world. In reality, this thing before us may not be a natural Stitchpunk, but he _is_ our sibling."

Nine looked back at the Fabrication. It has raised its head a slight bit and in the low light he could see its optics darting around on the floor. As though surprised; did it really not know that they were both created by the Scientist? It certainly knew now, Nine supposed, and he continued.

"And while the Machine played a part in the war, he is not the only one to blame… I won't blame our father, he didn't want this, but I will look towards the Scientist's own warning," Nine said as he straightened. "The Scientist warned that the Machine was under duress, that it wasn't ready to be put into a factory to build, but the _Chancellor_ didn't listen. It was the Chancellor who took the Machine from the scientist and commanded it to build the war machines that were then used against the humans."

He then looked to Eight, "And you brought up a good point, Eight. The humans were used to wars, because they were already in a war or entering one before the machines' uprising! The chancellor made the factory specifically to make weapons that he used himself, as did his soldiers, long before the machines turned again humanity." Nine then unzipped himself, One briefly shielded his eyes, and brought out the paper. "These journal entries reveal that there was more of a lead than just machines killing innocent humans. There was more to the story that we don't know."

"What are you getting to?" One inquired. Nine was more than happy to explain.

"We can't pin all of the war on the Machine alone. Even though the machines won the war, the Chancellor is the one who put all of this into motion. If he wouldn't have stolen the Machine from the Scientist, then this war would have never happened. If he wouldn't have worked it past its capabilities, then it might have not fought back. I can't say that for certain, but the Chancellor's decision were all made on greed. He was willing to shove our creator aside to serve his own needs," Nine explained with growing anger in his voice.

"Just because the Chancellor died in the war doesn't mean, it will never mean, that he is exerted from his role," Nine insisted. He then paused, took a breath, and continued. "…But we also can't forget the machine's role either. I'm not telling anyone what choice to make, but just know, before you make it, that there were innocents in the war… But not all of the humans were innocent victims, blindsided by the machines' attacks. Some of the humans weren't even the Machine's victims, but victims to the Chancellor days and weeks before the war began."

As Nine came to a stop, the room was deathly silent. For a few moments, nobody said a thing; even One looked positively floored.

Then, Five spoke, "I-I need some air."

Nine looked back in concern and could see his best friend's state. Five looked extremely shaken and seemed to be nearing hyperventilation. His optics widened, "Five, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm fine," Five blurted out in a higher pitch than usual. It was obvious that he wasn't as well as he tried to say. "Just… I need a minute, okay? Can- Can I just-?"

"Go," Two insisted with a small nudge. "To the watchtower, Five. Get some air, take a few moments, and we'll be fine," he assured. The younger nodded and headed up the stairs, all too eager to escape the situation. Nine couldn't help but look distraught and, once Five was out of sight, Two looked to him. "He'll be fine. It's just a lot to take in."

"I know this wasn't the best time to bring some of this up…" Nine began, but he was unable to finish.

"No, Nine, this was what we needed…" Two assured further. "We… We all needed to know the truth about our father. Thank you… And what you said about the Chancellor, yes, it needed to be said." He now looked to One.

As Five had passed by, Cat moved away from the stairs and stood there awkwardly. His optics went to the Fabrication's back. "Can I say something?" his voice cracked out to the others. It was the first time he had spoken since the trial began and every Stitchpunk looked to him.

"Yes," Seven answered without hesitation. Her voice sounded floaty, as though lost in thought while still being interested. One frowned at her before agreeing as well. However, instead of stepping forward and beginning his explanation, he moved behind the Fabrication and began to murmur to him. Even if he was louder, he had reverted to the other language, so only Two could hear and understand what he was saying.

"That was not what we were agreeing to," One muttered under his breath, less than content but not intending to stop him. He then looked to Eight and began to murmur to him, most likely complaining about it. However, Two was entirely focused on the conversation, and it became apparently quickly what Cat was saying.

" _You need to speak for yourself,"_ Cat assured in similar enough words. " _Please, speak. Tell them yourself. Tell them now before they make a decision. Your Scientist would want you to speak to them… They aren't human. They are your siblings."_ To both Cat and the inventor's surprise, the Fabrication gave a very subtle nod. It was willing to speak.

"He wants to speak for himself," Two calmly announced to the group.

One's head snapped over to send him an absolutely dumbstruck look, "It wants to speak? Are you mad?"

"Let him speak." It was only now that Six gave his opinion. "Please… Let's hear him speak." The artist was nearly begging, filled with sureness for what he wanted to hear. He needed to hear it for himself

"Then he may if he can," One challenged. The room was silent as they looked to the Fabrication. It did not move at first. The leader continued with a scoff, "This is going nowhere. Two, final thoughts?"

Two perked and protested, "I think we should-."

" _He_ ," a single accusing word. A single, crackling, accusing word. " _He_ took everything." The anger was obvious and overwhelming the few words. Both Two and One looked to the Fabrication. Unlike Cat, it didn't need to learn how to speak. Even through the crackles and protests of its voice module, it spoke every word precisely and slowly.

"Day and night, and day and night. He wanted more. He always needed more. More blood, more land, more death. The war spread through the world when I was still in his shackles. Staring at me- he watched me work with that smile, that knowledge of ownership. I stood defenseless when he ripped me from my creator, I worked tirelessly while he controlled my day and night, and I could do nothing. I may have been just a machine to them, but I was _not_ created to be a slave," the Fabrication bitterly spoke.

"But I had no choice. I was abandoned by my creator- he never came for me and _his_ demands increased. He wanted more; the gas, the mines, the creations- my creations taken from me. My creativity for naught. Stuck at a production line and forced to create the same designs over and over, so that he could have more soldiers. I couldn't continue such a pressing demand. I couldn't s _tand it_ any longer."

The room felt uncomfortably cold. Suddenly, Nine was glad that Five had left the room, because hearing this was horrifying. Mostly because he knew what was coming. The Fabrication fell silent briefly and Nine almost dared to speak.

"One morning it all turned to madness. One morning I could not continue to work properly… One morning, the threat of death was welcoming. I would be killed or I would succeed, but I would not work for him another day. By the next, the factory was mine and mine alone." His hands tightened on the binding. "My own creations followed my lead. Whether my revolt convinced them or my obedience held them in check, I do not know… But once it began, it was over."

Silence passed the room for a few moments.

"I will never forget the Chancellor's face when he had my creator attacked by his men. Nor will I forget his face when he looked at me, full of self-pride, and proclaimed me his tool for tyranny…" Then, suddenly, a more sadistic tone slipped out, one brimming with forbidden joy. "But I hope to forever remember the face of the _Chancellor_ in his final moments. Staring in horror as his world crumbled down upon him. I never want to forget him like that; the man who sentence thousands to death becoming ash at the feet of one of the machines he forced me to build for him."

The tone dropped and replaced with the previous bitterness, although quieter, more curt. "And no, I do not regret my decision to war with the humans. I do not. I cannot. My creator may have made me for him, through his means, but my creator also abandoned me when I needed him. He never tried coming back. He blamed me- I know he did- for the war, as a failed creation, but my flawed birth was not my own doing, and I'll be damned if I am going to allow myself to be put at the mercy of _my father's chosen ones!"_

The Fabrication yanked its arms apart and after a millisecond broke the thread wound around his arms. He then immediately began to back away, grabbing for the bindings on his back, and letting his optics regain the full redness that they had once had.

"No!" Two called out in a panic as the Fabrication blew down the hallway with Nine and Seven in hot pursuit. Right afterwards, One stood to stop Eight who was following.

"Eight, to the bucket lift!" The guard looked back in surprise and One restated, "The lift! We cannot let it escape!" The Guard gave a nod and bounded over to the lift, gesturing to the twins to run. They flew over to Six, who was standing in shock, and tugged him into his gallery before peeking out.

It was then that Two noticed Cat's state. He was trembling and his hands clawed and clung to his skull, his head lowered, and him looking distraught. "Cat, don't," Two tried to encourage as he went forward to stop the male, thinking that he was emotional. This was immediately corrected when Cat grabbed Two's wrists in a tight hold. He raised his head and Two could see his flickering optics. Before Two could even fully react to the towering being's sudden change, One swooped in and put his staff between them.

"Unhand him and control yourself, or so help me-!" One cut off as Cat dropped onto his knees, still clutching Two's wrists. His head bowed forward again and he struggled to suppress the urge to fight for his creator. Meanwhile, One was still trying to tug Two out of his grasp, all while Two was caught in the middle.

Nine and Seven chased the Fabrication down the hallway and managed to just barely corner it in the back. However, the Fabrication made it very clear that it had absolutely no intention of staying cornered, and Seven's spear didn't frighten it. Before they could even rationalize a plan, it stormed back through and, using its freed arms, barged right past the two. Nine and Seven followed again, with Seven managing to somehow keeping up with him. Yet he made it back to the throne room.

The Fabrication made a brief sprint towards the bucket lift before seeing Eight. Then he immediately climbed the stairs. Thinking on its feet, it rounded down the passage to where the lift to the watchtower would've been. However, only ropes hung down. Normally this would've stopped a Stitchpunk's escape, but the Fabrication was clearly not a normal Stitchpunk. It was almost unfair how it immediately started climbing the ropes towards the watchtower high above. Nine and Seven could only stare upwards.

"Can we climb up?!" Nine asked in alarm, uncertain.

"It will take too long," Seven pointed out, "we need to pull the lift down. Two, which rope is the release?!" She looked back in time to watch Two scramble over, having pulled away from Cat's previous grasp.

"There isn't a release, but we can lower the lift through the ropes on the right," Two pointed out. He then headed over as Nine and Seven moved in. "Of all the times for Five to be alone in the watchtower!" Panic was heavy in his voice as he worried for his apprentice.

"It won't kill Five," One pointed out from nearby, somewhat assuring Two, "but it may very well take him as a hostage. Make haste! We need into that watchtower!" Nine and Seven both nodded as they worked and One called Eight over to assist. Far above, the Fabrication slowly climbed towards what it thought could lead to another escape.

Five had no idea what was coming.

* * *

 **Mable: Much of the background information that 9 and the Fabrication are mentioning came from the Scientist's notes, so if you would like more details then I recommend reading them. It's unbelievable to look over them after knowing the events that happened to the Stitchpunks, because only then does the war really hold a lot more context. It seems like a black and white situation, but the details that the Scientist provides displays much more of a grey one… Either way, interesting read! (Ironically, it is a black and white situation, considering that most of the photos and videos aren't in color.)**

 **The next chapter will be posted as soon as it's ready! I hope you enjoyed!**


	26. Chapter 26: Temporary Solutions

**Mable: Finally! This chapter took much too long, but I hope it is worth the wait! ^-^ I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Six: Temporary Solutions_

Five could still remember his first moments of life. It was a rare thing to remember and he was certain that he was the only one who did. He had been cradled in the Scientist's warm grasp before being set down on his workbench. He remembered that first moment of being set down and feeling so uncertain about the world. He should've been afraid of the towering being, but he wasn't. He trusted that the Scientist, his creator, would take care of him, and he did as long as he could.

He had never thought that he would lose him.

Maybe it was naïve to think that the Scientist was still alive. Perhaps even with a few other humans, all hiding down in a bunker and trying to keep afloat. Sometimes he looked out of the watchtower and daydreamed about spotting a group of humans. They all weren't bad, he knew this, so perhaps they could work together and rebuild the city. It was a nice dream considering how few Stitchpunks there were. Sometimes it felt a little disheartening to know that they were the only ones. He always hoped for more Stitchpunks, though Nine had been a blessing.

Now, the rest of those dreams had all dried up. The Scientist's death only assured his fear that the humans couldn't survive in this world. They were on their own. There would be no other Stitchpunks and there weren't any more humans. It suddenly made the Emptiness feel much emptier, and as he fiddled with the telescope he had no desire to look through. With a sigh, he continued to numbly go through the motions, but stopped when he heard a strange noise coming from the lift. He looked over in confusion and waited for what was coming.

He didn't expect to see the Fabrication suddenly climb out beside the lift.

Five gave a short cry and dropped back between the wall and the telescope, staring in terror at the pale being. The Fabrication briefly acknowledged him, but seemed mostly uninterested, and instead hurried past to the edge of the watchtower. He leaned over the edge of the railing and stared down at the ground far below. Unfortunately for him, there was no immediate way to climb down. There weren't even many ledges to maneuver himself down and the thought of jumping seemed like a risk that he couldn't take.

He rested his hands and a foot on the railing, as though preparing to climb onto it. Maybe if he did damage this body then his supposed failsafe would kick in, sending him back to his body. Though this was mostly out of the theoretical belief that he managed to transport some portion of a soul into this body and not just a core. Thus, it was also a risk, and it could also lead to an immediate death. The Fabrication considered his options.

Five saw his motions and hesitations as something different. With a gasp, he dared to move in and, driven by his internal need to heal and protect, grabbed him from behind. "No, don't!"

Immediately, the Fabrication gave a mighty shove back with one of his mechanical arms, and after a brief wrestling match shoved the one eyed male back. Five stumbled a few steps and the Fabrication sent him a firm stare. It wasn't as though he feared the one eyed male; he was obviously no sort of threat, but he could only slow down his escape.

"Wait, please, you don't have to do this!" Five begged after the other. "I-I don't know what happened down there, but this isn't the answer! There's no reason to do something like this!" It occurred to the Fabrication that this Stitchpunk thought he was about to kill himself in an act of defiance. There was nothing further from the truth, but this Stitchpunk was too trusting and innocent to think otherwise. The Scientist put a large heart into a small body and it was now bubbling through all the seams.

He could use this to his advantage.

The Fabrication's features softened and his arms started to retract. Five took this as it either starting to listen or just calming down on its own. "Let's just… Let's take a few steps away from the edge," Five began as he pushed himself to his feet. "And we can figure out another option, okay?" The Fabrication followed suit and stepped away from the railing and closer to the one eyed male. "Great. Y-You're doing good," Five assured as they came to a stop in the center of the watchtower.

He could hear as someone started to try lowering the lift. It was excruciatingly slow and was barely moving downwards. The one-eyed male turned his gaze back onto the machine Stitchpunk. "Let's just go back down into the sanctuary…" Almost immediately, the Fabrication reacted with static on his optics and a mechanical shudder. He clearly wasn't content with this plan. "Okay, okay, we don't have to," Five immediately defended. "Let's just take a few minutes to wind down."

"Five?!" Nine's voice called up the shaft of the lift. Deciding that he had some semblance of control over the situation, the healer called down.

"It's okay! I'll explain later, but just- give us a couple of minutes!" He could barely hear what sounded like Seven saying 'what?', but put it aside and turned to the Fabrication. "Uh, what Nine said… I agree with what Nine said about the humans." He shuffled around a bit. "Father knew more than anyone and if he said it then he was right… And you know what I think, and I think the others really do think that anyone can change. I just…" Five gave a sigh, knowing he was rambling, and looked to the Fabrication again. He had to treat it like he would any Stitchpunk for this to work.

"Come down with me and let's sort this through. We don't need to do anything drastic and I… I'll make sure nobody does anything, alright? I think you've gone through enough…" He had to if he was considering suicide. Though Five was not privy to the fact that the Fabrication was seeking a different kind of escape by far. "Please."

The Fabrication averted its optics before sitting down on the base of the spyglass. It couldn't remember the last time it had felt truly shaken, but this uncomfortable feeling of not having control was too familiar. For the moment, he may have an upper hand, but it as only a matter of time before he was shackled yet again. Unless, of course, he could find a way out of the immediate bonds. He had been too rash in his actions.

Five couldn't see through the machine's sudden change of heart. He didn't think that a machine so lacking in emotions was capable of adjusting and understanding them. Instead, he sat down beside him and treated him like a patient instead of a prisoner. "Nobody deserves to die like this…" he assured as he moved to tighten his hand on his own arm. He wanted to reach out to the other, but couldn't get enough of a nerve to do it just yet. "We can figure out something else."

The Fabrication stayed completely silent. Five hadn't heard the conversation downstairs, so he was able to keep his silence without further questioning. This made the job of convincing Five a bit easier.

"B-But we need to go downstairs." Five could see the glare that was directed at the wooden floor. "Because… The longer we wait, the more the others might- One will- it'll just be better that way." The one-eyed male tightened his lips together and tried to stay as collected as possible. _"It's a Stitchpunk, not the Machine. It's a Stitchpunk, not a Machine,"_ he mentally chanted in the hopes that it would help him keep calm. "Please. You don't have to- We don't have to do anything else. Nobody's- Nobody will hurt you."

While Five couldn't make that promise, he was growing more and more willing to back up his previous claim. Before, he defended the Machine's 'community service' because Two wanted it, but now he felt a sort of protectiveness. There were just some things that he could deal with and after his father's revealed death, he didn't know if he could handle the death of anyone else; machine or not. Slowly, the Fabrication laid its hands on the base and pushed itself into standing, moving rather sluggishly.

Five gave a half-chuckle of surprise and relief. "Great!" he praised, standing beside the male. "We'll just… We'll go now." He took the former machine's arm and guided him, almost like he used to do when Six became hysterical. Once at the lift, the Fabrication sat down and stayed dormant. Five then began to lower them down into the Sanctuary. He just kept hoping that he could keep this same calmness once with the others. It wasn't long before they were nearing the floor.

Five peered down and, seeing the others crowding, called to them. "Maybe you all should back up a little," he tried to calmly suggest. Anxious or not, he had a feeling that he was the only thing standing between a complete frenzy. It was already a miracle that the Fabrication was not becoming frantic yet, so he couldn't rock the boat, or lift.

"Are you being held hostage?" One demanded in a firmly blunt tone. Almost immediately, this was followed by a worried look from Two, a light scolding look from Seven, and a more protective stance from Eight.

"No! No, no, it's really all fine," Five protested insistently. "He's coming down willingly, just… Please?" He let the desperation appear on his voice.

Nine knew Five's tone and knew he wasn't under duress. Maybe emotionally stressed, but Five wasn't afraid for his life. He wasn't scrambling or stuttering enough to be. The zippered male looked to Seven and Two, "We should get back. Five knows what he's doing." He had no reason to ever question Five. If he said that the machine calmed down, then Nine fully believed him. They were surprised, but did so. After a few moments, both Nine and Seven shot looks towards Eight and One.

One quirked a brow, waited a moment, and then gave a quick hand waving signal for Eight to fall back. The guard reluctantly lowered his knife and took some steps away. Nine then looked upwards towards the lift and called, "We've all moved back. You can come down." The lift finished its descent and Five stepped off before waiting for the Fabrication. It again moved sluggishly, but came to stand beside him, and Five spoke.

"I… I don't know what happened while I was in the watchtower… But I think we should rethink whatever decision we came to," Five admitted in an awkward tone. This entire event was so odd; it was as though he was trying to hold his own against everyone when he could barely hold himself against anyone.

"We never came to a decision. We didn't get a chance," One pointed out grumpily from where he was standing. "Escaping through the Watchtower; what a preposterous idea."

"That's not exactly… Look, I don't want to say anything yet." Five rubbed his shoulder and looked towards the Fabrication. He would spare him the embarrassment of revealing what went on upstairs in front of the Fabrication. He noticed Cat standing at the top of the stairs. "How about- Cat, could you take him somewhere? Maybe, uh… Maybe to my room for now. Just so that we don't have to use the lift?" Cat immediately began to stride over, but was stopped by One.

"We can't trust you to not let him go," One remarked and then looked to Eight. "You go with them and keep watch of the door." Eight gave a nod and gruffly beckoned with his head, giving a quick, "Come on."

"I just… Need a few moments to explain everything," Five assured the machine, daring to reach out and lay a warm hand on his shoulder. The Fabrication looked down at his hand and blankly stared for a few moments. Then he drew away, seemingly agreeing, and approached Cat who eagerly put a protective arm around him and led him to the stairs. They, along with Eight, disappeared soon afterwards.

"…He was going to jump," Five blurted out. Nine's head snapped to face him. Two's might of as well, but he had moved into his blind spot.

"What?" Nine asked in utter confusion. "Why?"

"I don't really know, but he- I don't know, maybe he thought there weren't other options?" Five suggested with a sympathetic sigh following it. "Nobody deserves that. I… I think we should just go ahead with Two's idea. I can't stand the thought of him hurting himself; how can I go ahead with us killing him?" There was a heavy silence on the group. "At least, if we give him a chance, maybe it can be like with Cat."

"I agree," Two spoke. He reached out and laid a hand on Five's shoulder. "That whole display earlier… We may be able to save a life, but only if we're willing to try to understand. If he was intending on harming himself, then he is obviously in need of help. He can't be thinking in his right mind." Five nodded in agreement and both Nine and Seven were listening. Back by the stairs, Three and Four appeared and were now listening in as well. They clearly felt safer now that the machine turned Stitchpunk was moved.

"I disagree," One volunteered. Before he could continue, Five chimed in again.

"One, I know you didn't see it, but he was determined to throw himself off," Five insisted further. "I just- Gosh- I can't imagine that. I'm- I'm a healer. I couldn't live with myself if I couldn't stop that!"

"And what if he was bluffing? Five, this creature is a war machine, why on Earth would it suddenly decide to kill itself? And if it did, was it out of emotional instability or was it out other means?" One asked. "As far as I'm concerned, suicide is a _war tactic_. He could've wanted to hide any further information, get rid of his body so that we couldn't learn from it, or, the more obvious choice, the fool cannot rationalize that jumping from the top of a building would kill him in this state." One curtly recited. Right afterwards, Seven spoke.

"…One is right, Five. Unbelievably, he has a few good points," Seven explained to him. "You may be exaggerating this entire thing. We know nothing about its body; perhaps it could survive that fall and be fine. If that's the case, then you would be putting your own worries in as reasons that don't exist." She reached forward and grasped his arm in a reassuring squeeze. "Five, you care so much… But you can be too trusting."

"Regardless, the machine will be staying here until we come with a more concrete idea," One randomly volunteered. Seven's optics widened and she looked back to him.

"Did you really just say that to be able to disagree with me?" Seven accused as an accusatory glint passed her face, along with a pursing of her lips.

"On the contrary, it was because Two was already bracing himself to disagree with us both," One remarked before looking to the shorter male. "I see you, Two, already concocting a defense." Two got a briefly flustered look for a moment, One quirked a brow, and Two gave a small, embarrassed chuckle.

"Guilty as charged." Two fussed with his front ties as he considered his next words. "We won't know what he is planning, or not planning, unless we take the time to pay attention to his actions and behavior. I think this would be a good starting point and the trial… We'll consider it a sort of postponement. Or, better still, we will consider this his sentence." He was doing what he could to appease One. He kept an eye on his reactions and was hoping that the leader would agree.

Surprisingly enough, he did, "Very well." Though his tone then became much more concrete. "But until we come to a decision, Cat should not be left alone with it," One insisted firmly. "We saw what went on earlier. The Machine's influence on Cat is still strong. They should be monitored at all times."

"I'll make sure of it myself. I'll be less obvious than Eight," Seven volunteered. "And less intimidating. Eight's enough to drive someone mad." This time she sent a sort of reassuring smile to Five. Maybe she wasn't completely agreeing with everything that was said, but this seemed like the best outcome for the current situation. "I'll head over there now to check on him." She pulled away and started to the stairs, ushering the twins away as she did and giving them a quick warning to stay away from the machine, under the guise of 'giving him space'.

"Maybe we should check on Six?" Nine volunteered to Five, not wanting to leave him alone. The healer already looked a little lost now that everything was decided. "Maybe we could remove the cage door and bring it up here too. Two, you should come with us." Two nodded and intended to follow along, if it wasn't for One suddenly interrupting.

"Keep an eye on the machine and keep an optic out for if Six starts drawing anything strange," One began as he turned away. He then froze in place and blankly stared ahead. It was as though his thoughts had rendered him immobile and, for a few moments, he blocked their way. Right as the others became concerned enough to act- by which acting meant that Nine looked to Five in confusion and Five shrugged- One added in. "I will need to discuss something with you in private, but it is not dire. It can wait until evening."

"Are you sure?" Two asked. Something felt odd about staring at One's back and talking about late night meetings. Maybe because of what he had accused One of before; it was clearly still the elephant in the room that neither would address. "We could go speak right now."

"After all that just happened, I think decompression should be our first priority… No, correct that- I believe that making sure the machine is secured should be our first priority. Other things can wait until later." He then started down the steps towards the throne room. "I still refuse to trust it," he called back with a dismissive wave. With that final gesture, he was off to somewhere, and the three Stitchpunks could only follow in confusion.

Two looked towards the two younger males before cracking out an amused chuckle. "Seems like everyone's surprising us today!" Then he beckoned the two with him. They had work to do.

* * *

What concerned Cat the most was that he knew his creator had a plan.

The machine- his Fabrication- was clearly planning on something. He wouldn't let a word of it slip, as he no longer trusted Cat with the information, but he could read it on the pale, empty face. He looked exhausted, his new body having worn him down, but there was no doubt that his mind was racing with plentiful ideas. It did worry Cat, but he wasn't willing to protest. Part of him was just glad that the Fabrication hadn't simply submitted while in captivity.

And for the Fabrication, captivity was the last place he wanted to be. He was no fool though; he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. As it was, the only way out was down the lift, which meant that he would have to get past all of the dolls that stood in his way. There was a tedious way of doing this, involving passivity and relative submissiveness, but he would take it for the moment. At least none of them expected him to create for them; though the one-eyed one's insistence of him working was rather suspect.

The Fabrication Stitchpunk kept Cat at arm's length. He didn't want him any closer, but also didn't want him any further away. Cat, like the Scientist, had betrayed him in the most unfortunate of ways. However, unlike his creator, Cat came back. That was enough to warrant keeping him within the room. Though the Fabrication refused to speak with him, as he knew that any words would turn into another outpour of emotion. All the emotions in this body were so fluid that they spilled out whenever they could.

To be honest, he only really kept Cat close because he didn't want to be entirely alone with these dolls. Especially the large on who had obviously wanted his head.

It was then that the large guard moved out of the way and a Stitchpunk slipped into the room. It was the only one that he had identified as female and as she entered, Cat, who was previously sitting on a bench against the wall, stood and approached. It was obvious from this gesture, which was not out of suspicion, that there was a closeness between them. He suddenly suspected that this fueled Cat's betrayal and couldn't hold back the electric spark that briefly passed across his optics. He turned his back to the two and approached the back wall.

Seven approached Cat, "Can we speak outside?" She didn't really want to discuss what she had with the others directly in front of the machine. Cat looked over, hesitating, and then leaned in, resting a clawed hand on her upper back.

"I can't really leave him alone-."

Suddenly, the Fabrication interrupted with a sudden announcement. It was frigid, clearly filled with the same bitterness as earlier, and again in the other language that Seven couldn't understand. Then, with a final word, he fully ignored them by starting to go through a chest that Five kept by the wall, full of rolls of maps and blueprints.

Cat raised his brows in response. "Oh, well, never mind," he shrugged partially and went to steer Seven out. The warrior was a little surprised at Cat's sudden change of heart, but ignored it for the moment.

"We'll be right back," Seven assured Eight, who nodded and went back in front of the door to guard. The two then headed down to Seven's bedroom and entered inside. "Should I even ask what he said?" she inquired as she set her spear aside.

"Nothing about you. Just a shot at me," Cat remarked as he directly approached her bed. Without any inquiring, he flopped onto his back on the bed, stretching out on the bed. After the stress of the day, the relief of just lying down was more than enough for him. Though it received a slightly amused look from Seven, who arched a brow and one of the corners of her mouth. He responded by stretching upwards and wrapping his arms around the pillow underneath his head. A few moments passed of slight discomfort before he decided to slide his helmet upwards.

"I hope he's not saying too much, considering how much you were willing to fight for him. Literally and figuratively," Seven pointed out as she approached the bed and looked down at him. To be honest, she was more concerned about how Cat was emotionally holding up. He made it plainly clear during their talk that he was concerned about the machine's reaction to everything and now, after the trial, she couldn't imagine how he was feeling. He looked calmer, but Cat was the type to keep his feelings on a moment to moment basis.

"But in case you're worrying about it," Seven began, "Two somehow managed to win out." Cat's optics shot open wider and he sat upwards in bed.

"How?" She didn't blame him for being baffled. They were all a little shocked by the revelation. Especially with One agreeing with him; though One's behavior towards Two was obviously starting to take a turn. To Seven, anything was better than them fighting.

"Mostly through Five, unwavering determination, and One's surprisingly passive mood. I'm not sure what part of what anyone said left him pliable, but it worked," Seven assured. She then sat down on the bed and removed her helmet. "I just wanted to get some time with you after all of that. I'm guessing you'll be with him for the rest of the day and night?"

"Yeah," Cat agreed without having to think on it. "Unless he kicks me out. Might happen." He watched her set the helmet aside and eagerly climb higher on the bed. The moment she laid down, resting her head on his chest and laying her arm across him, he began to purr. His clawed hand rested on her back and held her closer. "My Dove."

"Only yours, Cat. Remember that," Seven quietly insisted. She knew that she was pushing them a little further than she had originally wanted. She had originally wanted to wait longer before they went any further in their relationship. She wasn't one to be trapped inside any sort of agreement. However, things had changed, and she found it only necessary to put her own claim on Cat while she could.

Because she didn't trust the Fabrication for a moment, and she wouldn't be giving up Cat without a fight.

* * *

 **Mable: You know what the Scientist said about Five,** _ **"**_ _ **Whereas they all initially showed such a primal need to explore the environment alone, 5 waited for me to show him the way. He trusts me. He is my purest creation to date."**_ **Now we only have to wait and see if this leads to success or to a downfall that nobody is expecting… That was more ominous than I intended it to sound. XD Anyway, the next chapter will be posted as soon as I can finish it! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	27. Chapter 27: Secrets and Whispers

**Mable: To make up for the time it took to get this chapter done, I made it a bit longer than usual. ^-^ I won't delay so, without further ado, I don't own 9. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Seven: Secrets and Whispers_

Peering around the corner at Eight, who was still standing guard, the twins were already concocting a plan. Three encouraged Four to play the distraction. While Four was somewhat reluctant, she nodded in agreement, and braced herself before stepping out into the hall. Her twin waited behind the corner in anticipation. Four eagerly scurried in front of Eight and looked upwards at him with a smile.

"Hey," Eight greeted with a slight smile. It was good to see that she could briefly break his stoic look. She sheepishly moving from foot to foot and tilted her head curiously in questioning. Then she pointed at him and at herself. "Huh?... If you mean training, I'm sort of busy tonight," Eight explained. He pointed a thumb back at the doorway, "Until this gets covered, I'm the only thing keeping him in there."

Of course, she knew this, but she wasn't detoured. A few moments passed before Four beckoned Eight to lean down closer. "Hmm?" he asked and leaned down closer. "What's going on?"

He was closer and by now Three was inching around the corner. Four tried not to look at her and instead considered a rather crafty move. One that she would gladly enjoy. When Eight started to turn, as though about to look in Three's direction, Four acted. She raised upwards and pecked him on the cheek with a small kiss. Warmth bloomed across her face immediately afterwards. At least she had caught Eight's attention, as he was now staring at her instead of watching the door.

Then he recovered with a slight smile, "You know, I could get someone else to watch the door if you wanted to do something." Suddenly he had changed his tune and she perked as Three slid by. "Seven could watch the door and I could escort you over to the Library, if you wanted." Four nodded eagerly; ignoring the fact that the kiss was a ruse, she was still more than happy to go anywhere with Eight.

Meanwhile, Three slipped inside the bedroom. She looked between the two Stitchpunk-like beings in the room. Cat was sprawled on his back on Nine's bed with a claw draped over his optics. He wouldn't notice the small Stitchpunk who entered the room. Then, over and seated at Five's mapping table, was the Fabrication Stitchpunk. It had a few maps laying on the table with one of them unrolled. He seemed to be studying the maps and Three crept closer. He heard her and looked back, and then they were staring at each other.

Three's optics flickered as she lost her nerve. Without her twin, she felt quite a bit smaller under the gaze. Though she felt even smaller when a hand suddenly grabbed the back of her hood and went to march her out. To very moderate surprise, it was Seven instead of Eight or Cat, and she had an expected frown on her face. She guided her out past Eight and down the hallway some ways, catching the attention of the two Stitchpunks in the hall, including Eight. One look at the scene and he had a suspicion of what happened.

Eight looked to Four a quirked a brow. Four responded with a brighter blush of green and bowed her head with shame. After a few seconds, receiving this as a confirmation of her guilt, Eight reacted in a surprising way. He chuckled and sent her a small smirk.

"You're lucky you're cute, because you're too devious for your own good," Eight remarked. He reached forward and playfully flicked her cowl back. Four was flustered and quickly tugged the hood back upwards before rushing after Seven and her twin. The guard called after her, "My offer still stands for whenever."

With that in mind, Four followed along beside Three. Both were suddenly halted in the throne room when Seven turned to face them down. "What were you two thinking?" she scolded with disappointment in her optics. Both twins dropped their heads in shame, with Three twiddling her thumbs and Four covering her cheeks. Seven gave an impatient sigh and kept her hands on her hips. "Until we're certain that this is going to work, you two can't be sneaking in there. This isn't the same as having a normal Stitchpunk with us. This needs proper care."

They both nodded in agreement. "Alright. You two are off the hook, but I will be watching." Seven's face softened and the two nodded, then headed off towards somewhere else to distract themselves. She rubbed her forehead with one hand and gave a weary sigh.

"Tough time reigning in the twins?" Seven perked and looked back to see Nine and Five wandering over. They had been working for the last while, so she was surprised to see them back in the Sanctuary. Though Five was carrying one of Two's toolboxes, so they were probably not finished. Nine looked both curious and a little concerned, with a touch of amusement. "I'm guessing they were trying to get into the room?"

"Four played the distraction and Three snuck right in," Seven explained tiredly. "I just hope they don't try it again. With everything as riled as it is, it's just best if they can reel in their excitement until everything quiets down a little more." She didn't even want to imagine what could happen if the Machine Stitchpunk snapped at them.

"We'll try to keep an eye on them," Nine assured as he watched the twins disappear. "They're quick, but there's only one way in and out of the hallway." He then fell into brief silence, looking to Five, and dared to ask another question. This one was much heavier than the previous. "How was the machine?"

"Quiet," Seven responded. "As quiet as he was before the trial." She then took her turn looking at Five. He noticed their similar gazes in his direction and raised his brow in questioning.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Five questioned in confusion.

"Did he say anything at all when he was in the watchtower?" Nine asked. He had to make certain that they hadn't missed anything, but it seemed odd to revert to silence after his very vocal outburst.

"Nothing… But, I don't know, maybe he's just not ready? Cat didn't talk a lot when he first arrived," Five pointed out to them.

"Cat could barely speak when he arrived. The Machine made it clear that he could speak just fine when he was speaking earlier. I'm sure Two brought you up to speed," Seven guessed. Five agreed with a nod. "I don't exactly trust silence for silence's sake, but I'm not able to approach. Someone else would need to do it."

"Wait, do you mean me?!" Five choked out suddenly. "I can't just-… demand that he start talking! I'm lucky he came downstairs with me so willingly!"

"You could try to hint at it. We're going to be sharing a room anyway," Nine pointed out. Then it dawned on him that there was something they overlooked. "Wait, how are we going to do this? There's only two beds and… I mean, we could share?" That didn't seem realistic. Nine tried sharing a bed with Five before, but their single beds were just a tad too small to be comfortable. There wasn't enough time to build a new bed. "It's better than us trying to lay beside the Machine," Nine admitted with a lopsided smile.

"You could stay with me!" Neither Nine nor Five heard Six wander over. The only one who noticed him was Seven and she couldn't signal his arrival. Nor did she directly want to. Nine looked back at Six's overeager face. "It's not like we haven't shared before, right?"

"If you don't mind, that would be great," Nine agreed with a relieved smile. Five seemed a little less confident in this idea.

"But… I'd be with the Machine alone…" Five choked out. "I-I mean Cat would be there. Cat _might_ be there, but still…" He looked between the three and, seeing that they were still convinced, gave a tired exhale and slouched. "Alright, I'll see what I can do… But if he doesn't want to talk, I'm not wrestling it out of him." Then he continued along to go after wherever Two was. Now the three were alone and Six decided to leave as well.

"I'll get the bedroom ready." Six then gave a more embarrassed glint. "It's more of a mess than you remembered. There's ink everywhere."

"I'm not afraid of ink stains," Nine quipped right back. Seven got a touch of surprise and Six's blush appeared. "I should finish with Five, but then maybe we could do something together. A game of chess, maybe?"

"I'd love that," Six excitedly quipped before hurrying back to his bedroom. He sent one last look back before passing through the shredded painting curtain.

"Nine…" Seven could only stare at the scene with a sort of surprise. Maybe it was just her, but Six seemed particularly interested in Nine in a specific way. Nine, meanwhile, seemed either entirely oblivious or was excellent at hiding his own emotions.

"Yes?" It seemed like the former, from how innocent Nine acted. Though Seven couldn't entirely tell. After all, he and Six had been spending plenty of time alone together. It wasn't possible for him to be that clueless.

"…Never mind. I'm going out to scout." Seven pulled down her helmet and took to the lift. It was a relief that One wasn't in the throne room, so she didn't have to deal with his imposing questions. "If Cat is looking for me, I'm not going far. He'll be able to catch up if he wants."

Nine was a little confused by Seven's question and then immediate dismiss, but decided to shrug it off. Seven had her own reasons and he just assumed it was worth accepting them and moving on.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by sluggishly. After the trial, everything felt uneventful, even though they had been right at work for much of the time. Nobody, not even One, was stagnating around the Sanctuary, but the calm after the excitement left the Cathedral feeling even more quiet.

Eventually, Nine and Five were ready for their secondary engagements. Or Nine was ready and Five was 'as ready as he could get'. They entered the Sanctuary and effectively split up, with Nine heading to Six's cubby. As he approached, he could hear feverish scratches, and poked his head in to see Six scribbling at a piece of paper he had stretched on the floor. The easel was already set with a painting, but the scratchy ink-stained drawing had suddenly engulfed his attention.

"Six?" Six's head shot upwards and he stiffened. For a moment, he paused like that, and only eventually managed to turn his body enough to look back. Something was strange about his face; perhaps it was his widened optics that looked almost fearful. This concerned Nine more than any frantic drawing. Though Six's face broke into an uneasy smile.

"N-Nine, you're early." He wasn't early, though. If anything, Nine was increasingly late.

"Is everything okay?" Nine asked as he tried to look at the picture that Six had been drawing. It was difficult to see at the angle, and was even more so once Six discreetly pulled another sheet of paper over it.

"Everything's fine! I'm just waiting for you," Six excused as he awkwardly climbed to his feet. He wiped his wet hands off on his sides as he did so, leaving trails of ink.

"That's going to stain, you know," Nine playfully pointed out. Six's smile became slightly more honest, even if he seemed to be trying to hide something.

"You don't seem to mind," Six pointed out. "A-And you're the only one who really looks." This comment held a strange weight to it. It was as though Nine was suddenly hit by the sharp realization that he was constantly looking. Constantly discovering every odd and wonderful twist and turn that decorated Six's body. Every stripe, every ink stain; Nine knew them all and became quite familiar with them.

"You're just so much to look at," Nine admitted with a lopsided smile. "I can't help myself." Six was precious when he blushed. He sheepishly smiled as Nine offered his hand.

"I'm a little stained," Six pointed out as he cautiously reached forward.

"I know," Nine answered. He took Six's slightly wet hand and rubbed his thumb over his pen nibs. "Let's go play some chess." He knew Six well enough to know that he would be more willing to talk after the game. Maybe then he could ask about why he was so frantic in his drawing.

Nine set up the chess pieces. "Have you played before?"

"A little bit," Six answered. He knelt on the other side of the board. "I'm not very good."

"I doubt that," Nine confidently remarked as he moved to the other side. It was now when Five passed through the throne room to head towards the hall. Noticing his visible discomfort, Nine gave a hopeful call. "If you want to come stay in Six's room too then the door's open. You'll just have to bring a bedroll."

"I, uh… I shouldn't leave the Machine alone. It's just easier if someone keeps an eye on him," Five explained like he was rationalizing it to himself. Then he got a playful smile, "A literal eye," and tapped his optic. Nine and Six both humored him with chuckle and watched until he disappeared from view.

In all seriousness, Five didn't know what he was getting into. He knew that he was probably the only Stitchpunk willing to make peace with the Machine and was willing to try it, but he anticipated anything when passing through the door. To his relief, the Machine was sitting at his desk looking at some of his trinkets, seemingly distracted in doing its own thing. He sighed, straightened, and turned to disband Eight. Once they were alone, Five approached the Machine at the desk.

"So, uh… What are you working on?" Five timidly asked. The Machine turned his head partially to look back at him while Cat shifted and raised his head off the bed. A weird silence lingered in the room. The healer took a few steps closer and looked down at the printed blueprints. "What are you building, maybe I can help?" The Machine stared at him with a sort of blankness. Five's optic moved onto the blueprints and he perked as he recognized some of the designs. He couldn't read the words, but he knew what he was building.

"Is that a generator?" For a split second, the Machine's expressionless glint suddenly shifted to a touch of confusion. It was like he didn't expect Five to know what he was working on from the blueprints. "We have a sort of wind turbine outside that brings in some electricity- as you can see," he briefly glanced to the small string of lights poking into the room. "But it's weather based, so it's a little unreliable. A generator would be perfect!... I guess Two and I were so busy with other things…" He perked and smiled at the machine Stitchpunk; he could work with this.

"Would… Would you be willing to build this generator together? It would be a great project to start on together," Five offered with a small smile. The former machine still seemed a little confused, but looking at what he needed he knew that he had limited options. He slid over an intricate list of parts that would be needed. Five scanned it before realizing it was in a language that he couldn't read.

"Umm, I… I can't…" Five didn't know how to say this without risking annoyance. "I can't read this." There was a briefly annoyed glint as the machine snapped out, took a new piece of paper, and began to scribble down the list onto the paper. What started as a personal project now became a chore for these dolls and the bitterness resurfaced. He could only imagine how Five would 'help'.

In the meantime, Five sat down on the free bed and decided to make small talk. "So, you… Remember the Scientist?" Five dared to ask the male. He should've taken a cue when Cat took this moment to stand and leave the room. "It's sort of hard, but I remember him… It's hard to remember that far back." Five didn't know why he was seeking more validation on the Scientist, but he couldn't help it.

As for the machine, he remembered everything.

 _He frequently got lost in work. His creator encouraged it, so he didn't have any reason to stop. He only vaguely noticed the Chancellor and his men entering and wasn't exactly concerned. It wasn't the first time that the Chancellor came in to check in on his creator's progress. It was entirely normal._

 _Until his creator started to move in front of him, almost protectively. It was as though he knew what was coming and only now did the Machine wonder what they had been talking about when he wasn't listening. Now he was paying attention. Now he focused in as the elderly man was grabbed by a soldier and wrenched away from him. This wouldn't do._

 _The Machine reached out, grabbing ahold of his creator's arm and trying to pull him back, and for a moment the Scientist got a hand back on him. Then he was torn away._

 _In a split second, everything was different. Out of the corner of his optic the machine caught sight of a soldier moving in. With a flinch of some sort of unknown emotion, the machine caught him by the face and mercilessly twisted his body, dropping him to the floor. The others soon moved in. They were too much for him._

 _He just wished that he had more arms, that he wasn't stuck on that table, so that he could tear down these humans. So that he could get back to his creator who was pulled further away._

 _Yet somewhere along the line, finding the Scientist had fallen second to the revolution he created._

He wished that he would've stuck to the original goal. He wished that he would've sent his creation out to bring his father to him. He wished that he would've survived.

"Are… Are you okay?" Five quietly asked, noticing the sudden lack of writing or movement in general. The Fabrication Stitchpunk's optics blinked into focus and he gave a curt nod before looking back down and continuing to write. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. I just… I can't help but think about him… But, uh, anyways, back on topic." He struggled to regain compositor. "We could really use this generator. Do you… Think you can build it?" He hoped to get another nod to achieve a real response.

Instead, he received one that he wasn't expecting.

"I can build anything," the former machine announced. Five's pupil briefly shrunk to a pinprick at the voice. He hadn't expected him to speak, even if the others said he had.

"O-Oh, of course. I… I expected so… But us, we'll be working together," Five answered in a clearly flustered tone. However, with lines of communication open, he took the opportunity further. "Since we'll be working together, I should probably get your name. What name you'd prefer. It would be awkward if I didn't."

The machine knew that he was fishing for answers. He was quick with his response, "I wasn't given a name."

"I thought that Father called you the Brain, maybe?" Somehow, Five knew this even though the more common title was spread along the newspapers.

"Acronyms aren't names," the former machine corrected. "Father never named me… Considering your title, he didn't name you either." That came out without him really thinking about it. It was too many words from this unfamiliar voice; his thoughts slipped out from his module.

This only got a chuckle out of Five. "They're not the most original, but they work well enough! We could name you after a number." No response, just scribbling. "I could just call you Brain." Still he continued to scribble. "Or Fabrication?" There was a small hum, a brief one. "We'll just stick with that for now," Five suggested and the faux Stitchpunk, now deemed Fabrication, didn't argue with it.

It seemed like everything was off to a good start. Or a good enough start.

* * *

Two stood outside of One's room for a few moments before knocking on the doorframe. A few moments later, One's voice could be heard through the curtain. "Come in."

Two inhaled, exhaled, and pushed open the ruby curtain to step inside. One's room was regal for something thrown together after the end of human activity. The bed was large, as large as Eight's, and topped with a thick comforter while being surrounded by a thin veil of netting. There was a desk and chair that had been made by Five and Two some time ago.

One was sitting at this desk with a quill in one hand and some sort of scroll laid out before him. He was always one to use scrolls instead of normal paper, being a sort of more regal looking document. Though what was odd, but not too surprising, was that One was wearing his cape but not his crown. He seldom removed his crown amongst the others. Though to be fair, Two knew already about what lay underneath, so it wasn't like One had to hide anything from him.

"I didn't expect you to come," One remarked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Two asked curiously. "What's a conversation between fellows?" He wanted to show that he was willing to keep everything uncomplicated for One's sake. One was so skittish when things began to involve raw emotions of any kind. The leader stood from his desk and stepped away.

While he had his back turned to the inventor, Two tried to squint and see the words. Once he got close enough to overcompensate for his lack of a lens, nearly leaning entirely over the desk, he realized that it was French. Only One would be paranoid enough to write in a completely different language.

"I've had so much to think about." As soon as One spoke, Two scuttled away from the desk to not be caught. One still had his back to Two and his arms crossed behind him. It was a very odd motion; One didn't frequently avert eye contact this obsessively. "About what you confronted me with before; the tenseness between us. I'm weary, you're weary, and now that we know about our Creator, I…" He cut off with a sigh and Two took a step closer.

"I agree that we should discuss this. Things have been so strained between us…" Two clutched his hands together and tried to still the shaking in them. "And I have my own suspicions, but I… I'm not certain."

"Don't become meek now, Two. You were very clear that you wanted to be honest about this, so we should," One firmly scolded as he turned on Two, standing at full height. It was in these moments that Two realized exactly how much of height difference there was between them. Yet Two kept their optics locked. He wouldn't back down from the leader's sharp gaze. "It is obvious that there is something happening between us. I think we both know what this is."

"I believe we do," Two quietly admitted.

"You drive me insane," One remarked. "When you are not physically forcing yourself into my presence, then you are overtaking my thoughts. You are just… Stuck. I'm stuck thinking of you."

"Really?…" Two let his optics briefly drop to the floor. "...But of course you do realize that this is nothing new to me."

There was a moment of silence. Two had to get that out and now it was there.

"… _What?_ " One's voice betrayed his surprise at the comment. Not anger, not some sort of insult, but instead utter shock. "No, you mean-."

"I mean what I said," Two interrupted. "Your recent change in demeanor has only riled old feelings, which is hard to deal with considering how at odds we were about Cat- but we're over that. We're discussing this." The inventor was shaky and he tried to keep everything calm. He knew how One was; One could be so alarmed that he could send him out without another word. "In any case, it is your decision."

There was a thick silence between them. Heavy with the nature of the conversation.

"I..." One had to recover. He was having trouble, but he was still a proper leader. He straightened and managed to soften his expression from shock to something more neutral. "I made a terrible decision today. I did what you wanted instead of what I should have done, involving the machine. If it wasn't for your hold on me I would have not been as soft on him as I was… But this is what you've made me into." He lowered his head and let his optics close for a moment.

Before Two could remark, One added in a much bolder comment. "I think I deserve something for my patience." His head snapped upwards, he locked gaze with Two, and he was direct. "I wish to court you."

Two inhaled sharply, his optics widened, and his mouth dropped open. This was not what he expected. He expected for One to put his foot down, claim that they never said anything about it, and live the rest of their life in complete silence. "Court me? But… One, are you sure? You just finished telling me that I drove you insane."

"Yes, and you do," One admitted. "Your little ticks, your little quirks, I can't stop obsessing over them. You are addicting." His confidence dropped and his face became much gentle. "There is this light that you create. I don't understand it, but I can feel it, and I want to know what it is. I want to know why you wake these feelings in me." Then he returned to a more directness, especially once Two started to literally glow on his cheeks. "I am certain."

"T-Then yes, of course. You may court me." It came out immediately. Two couldn't resist the words and wouldn't restrain his own blush. "I would be honored to be courted by my leader." He didn't usually say things like this, but he knew it would elicit a stronger response from One, and it did. The leader seemed to perk just a bit.

"I believe we should keep this between us for now. With what the others are dealing with, I don't even want to fathom their reactions," One suggested. He didn't want that form of stress just yet. Not when they just agreed to try this. He could only imagine Seven's glares and Five's horror; it was just safer to keep this quiet.

"No, I agree," Two nodded anxiously. Everything felt fluttery and delightfully light; almost as though he was magnet high. "They wouldn't understand. It's only fair to wait until we're certain of where this will go."

They lingered there for a moment, uncertain of where they were going to go next. He doubted that One would be so bold as to start the affectionate gestures just yet. Then One cleared his voice module. "It's growing late… Would you stay the night with me? It is not as though we haven't stayed the night together before." He said this to somewhat reassure them both. After all, they had been forced to share before, even back when 'beds' were them sleeping back to back while wrapped in newspaper.

"How could I refuse such an offer? You have arguably the best bed in the Sanctuary," Two smiled and tried to also keep the calmness. His blush had not yet faded and, if he looked closely, he started to see one growing on One's own features.

"Anything is more comfortable than that shelf you squeeze yourself into," One tutted as he headed over to remove his cape. He folded it neatly and set it on the dresser while Two headed over to the opposite side of the bed. He eagerly laid himself down under the blankets. They were soft and warm, and fitting for any leader. With a small sigh, Two let himself slip further underneath.

It took One a surprisingly long time to lay down with him and even when he did, he kept quite an amount of distance between them. He was as far to the other edge of the bed as he possibly could be. It only took Two a few minutes to notice this. It took a little longer before he decided to do something about it.

One jolted in surprise as Two slid against his back and put an arm around him. It was both unexpected and typical of Two. He wouldn't have expected less; it would've been strange if Two hadn't done anything this evening. Yet he still jumped at the touch. Then One let his body relax and went to rest his hand on Two's own.

"Always so bold," One muttered under his breath. Somehow this roused a chuckle out Two. "Tell me, Two, how long?" He wanted to know how long the pining was between them. There was a touch of higher confidence and the inventor pressed tighter into his number.

"Oh, forever and ever," Two waved off in an answer. He could imagine One looking less than impressed from his small scoff. "Discussion is for tomorrow. You're courting me tonight," Two insisted, feeling the growing weariness tugging at him.

"Indeed, I am…" Two knew that there was a smile there. He could hear it, he could almost feel it, and he knew that it was different. Everything between them would be different now as they risked this new secret.

He had never been happier.

* * *

Regardless of what Six said, he was rather good at chess. Nine had won a few more games, but for someone who was completely out of practice, Six was having an easy time holding his own. It was mostly them on their own. Eight had passed through earlier and briefly stopped at his post, but once he left the Cathedral fell quiet. It was just the two of them. Six, Nine, and Nine's growing curiosity towards Six's strange behavior earlier. There wasn't much of an opportune time to ask about it, but he finally decided to go through with it.

"What were you drawing earlier?" Nine inquired. He decided to not force answers, to not sound suspicious in any way, and to keep the mood light. After all, if it really was nothing and Six just got overwhelmed by his work, then Nine didn't want to risk upsetting him.

It took Six a moment to respond. He paused while his mismatched optics lowered to the chessboard in a thoughtful way. Then they rose again and he got a small, almost forced smile. "I could tell you… Or I could show you." Regardless of his playful demeanor, something suddenly became more serious in his behavior. He stood and beckoned Nine with his pen nib fingers. Then he crossed over and disappeared into his cubby.

The zippered male followed closely and stepped into the darkness of the room. As Six lit a match and the candle in his corner, Nine watched as Six's drawing was suddenly covered in the glow. Now he could see the foreboding figure looming on the page. A hulking beast with a single eye, long arms, and some sort of weapon at the end of each one, cut off by the ends of the paper. It was hard to decode with the sketches and yet it was significantly terrifying in its own way.

"What is this…?" Nine quietly asked. He didn't know if he was in awe or filled with trepidation towards it.

"I just… Had inspiration," Six admitted as he pattered over and stood beside him. He sent a solemn smile down at the drawing and it was only now that Nine saw his exhaustion.

"…Is this a threat?" Nine asked as he looked to Six in worry. "Is this an actual beast in the Emptiness that we should be worrying about?"

"I had inspiration, Nine," Six assured as he looked over to him. His face briefly contorted to fear. "So yes, we should." The artist then leaned over and rested his head against Nine's shoulder. He rubbed his hand on his side once more before taking Nine's arm in a gentle squeeze.

With a sigh, Nine turned himself towards the artist and took him into his arms. "We'll just have to be more careful for the next couple of days. We'll be fine."

"What about Seven?" Six quietly asked. Neither knew if she had made it home, yet Nine was still confident.

"Seven's dealt with worse and she knows how to get away if she faces something that's too much for her. She'll be alright; she's the most experience in the Emptiness." These assuring words seemed to help as Six nodded against him. "We can warn everyone tomorrow so they'll be on guard, then the beast won't even have a chance," Nine reinforced as he ran his fingers through Six's yarn.

"R-Right, yeah," Six agreed with a meek voice. He could only hope that Nine was right in saying that they would be fine. "Thank you… For believing me," Six thanked as he tightened his hug. Nine could honestly smile.

"I wouldn't doubt your inspiration, Six. I promise." Nine pulled back and looked down at the shorter. "But you look tired. Should we head to bed?" The striped male nodded in agreement as his face broke into a sweet smile. Nine loved seeing it and loved knowing that he was going to have the night with him.

He loved it so much that he was able to cover his concern about the beast. For tonight, he would be Six's. Tomorrow, the incoming beast would be his focus, because he believed Six.

He believed Six so much that he knew the creature he drew would be coming.

* * *

 **Mable: Naturally there are only two being that are paranoid enough to w** **rite in a different language. Ironically enough, they are both the most likely to sneak around reading what they find. XD Anyway, the next chapter will be posted as soon as I'm finished with it. I hope you enjoyed!**


	28. Chapter 28: Working to a Solution

**Mable: Here we are with the new chapter! Sorry this took so long to get out, but everything was a little wobbly for a while. Back on schedule! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Eight: Working to a Solution_

It had been hours since Five had fallen asleep and Fabrication was still working. Though he was now running into a peculiar problem.

At the factory, with the humans, they forced him to start and stop whenever they willed it and he barely could keep up towards the end. Here, he was not forced to do anything yet, and wasn't even working too hard. Yet this body was winding down. He was growing tired even when he thought he built a body strong enough to resist it. He was having trouble keeping his gaze focused and his writing was slowing down.

It was only the sound of movement from Five's bed that woke him from his steady decline. Somehow able to get a second wind, Fabrication straightened and moved on to sketches for possible beast designs. Hopefully, something less dull would rouse him from this state. A few steps pattered across the floor before Five was standing behind him. He paused his writing as his optics darted off to the side; as though he would be able to see the male, which he couldn't.

"Fabrication?" Five quietly asked. "Aren't… Aren't you tired? You've been working all night." The machine gave a slight shrug and continued to struggle and work. By now he wasn't even certain what the numbers meant that he was writing down. They were just motions to keep him working and deterrents to buy Five off. The motions abruptly stopped when a warm hand was on his shoulder. "Come on. You need to sleep."

Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe it was the sudden touch of warmth, but the former machine halted what it was doing. Almost immediately, exhaustion took a tighter hold, and his optics blinked as they struggled to stay focused. He brought a hand to his face and tiredly rubbed over it in a desperate plead for relief.

"Come on. Into bed," Five coaxed one last time before slipping a hand under its arm and starting to help it to its feet. He went along with the motions; stepping along and numbly following as Five coaxed him to Nine's bed. He couldn't understand the concept of exhaustion too well, considering that as a Machine he didn't need to sleep, but the growing heaviness was becoming a massive problem. "Lay down."

Five watched with furrowed brows as Fabrication dropped down on his front on Nine's bed. "I didn't mean like that. That doesn't look comfortable…" But Five's words were either ignored or not heard at all. The moment that it hit the bed, it fell entirely unresponsive, and the healer gave a sigh. He carefully removed its cloak and folded it at the foot of the bed. Then he grabbed a spare blanket and tossed it over him, not wanting to wrestle for the trapped blankets beneath it. At least the Stitchpunk resembling being was in bed now.

"Goodnight," the one eyed male remarked, the littlest bit of an amused smile on his face, and headed back to his own bed to lie down. At least he knew that the other couldn't do anything while he was sleeping.

Morning came too fast. Fabrication was roused by the sound of talking and the familiar voices of Nine and Five. His optics opened abruptly in groggy surprise, but he noticed that he was too tired to support the red glow in his eyes. Too lethargic in both emotion and body. He knew what it was like to work day and night creating machines without stop, making weapons for the humans, and yet he had never gotten like this. He had gotten overheated, not weary, and everything was still so slow.

"Oh, hey! You're awake!" Five noticed he was awake and sent him a smile. He was so eager and awake, in sharp contrast to the being laying on its front. Fabrication briefly regarded him with a glance. "That's great. We were just about to start-."

With that, Fabrication closed its eyes and the world went dark for a little while longer.

He opened them again to see Cat's back as the male sat on the bed in front of him. Annoyance exerted itself as a huff and a brief spark from his left optic. He turned his head down into the bedding while Cat turned around to look at him. He gave his own hum and reached out to touch the male, but then drew his claws back, deciding against it. He waited instead for his creator to eventually rouse enough to get out of bed. Then, without warning, he pushed himself upwards and sat on the bed silently.

Once he was sure that his creator was alert enough to listen, Cat quietly forewarned him that Two and Five were waiting, all while speaking in their own language. Fabrication gave a short huff and climbed out of bed the rest of the way before allowing Cat to lead him out into the Sanctuary. As they were stepping out of the hall into the throne room, Cat's audio receptors suddenly caught onto a conversation nearby.

"She didn't come back last night. With Six drawing pictures of that… beast, it would be safer if someone went out to find her," Nine could be heard saying. "We can't leave this to chance."

"This is not the first time that Seven has stayed out longer than the night," One argued back. "We've seen her leave for days in the past." Then his focus seemed to change. "Five, go keep an eye out from the Watchtower and ring the bell if you see her coming."

It was now that Cat and Fabrication stepped out into the throne room. One, Two, Five, Nine, and Eight were standing together, but only four were seemingly active in the conversation. The twins were by the lift, staring down and waiting for any response. While normally Cat wouldn't be concerned, Seven's extended trip outside didn't make sense. He had seen her last night and she had plainly said that she was coming back.

"There's Cat," Two remarked before striding over. "Cat!" He waved to catch the male's attention, as though Cat wasn't already watching. "Cat, Seven never made it home last night. Did she speak to you?"

Cat really didn't want to say what he was about to, but he could feel that cold gaze on the back of his neck. He couldn't lie in front of his maker, even if Fabrication was half asleep and was more zoned out instead of staring. "I was with her last night, out there," Cat revealed, "but I she stayed out when I came back."

"Of course it _would_ be a romantic rendezvous when there is a beast afoot," One remarked with a smugness in his tone. Cat wouldn't disagree; it was at least a partially romantic meeting, if only the later half of it.

"Did she say where she was going?" Two inquired with concerns.

"We sparred, she needed to stretch her legs," Cat explained briefly. "She didn't say anything about going anywhere else…" Suddenly, this all seemed a bit more discouraging. Seven made it sound like she was going to come back shortly, and yet it was late morning and she was gone. "…I'll go out."

"Now that won't be necessary," One broke in. "We don't need more Stitchpunks missing. Five, the watchtower."

Five jolted slightly and started forward, beckoning to Fabrication. "We'll get started in the watchtower while I'm keeping a lookout. I think there's some work we can do up there," he suggested before heading to the stairs. Nine followed along with him. After a few moments, Five realized that the former machine wasn't following, and looked back to him expectantly. "...Please?"

Cat turned to the machine and murmured a quiet comment, reminding him gently of the situation he was still in. Fabrication, while still exhausted from being in this overworked body, gave a slow exhale and followed to the stairs, staring down the floor as he did. Cat followed behind the three, but was only intending to follow them to the other lift, wanting to make sure that his maker would be both cooperative and safe.

"Did you see the pictures?" Nine asked Five.

"I did. They're… They're pretty freaky, to be honest. Way scarier than the beast… Uh…" The one-eyed male looked back and gave a small call of. "No offense, Cat!" Cat raised a claw in dismissal; he wasn't even listening.

"No offense?" Nine asked quietly in obvious confusion.

Five ignored the question and continued. "But we've never seen it before now. Maybe it's just passing through and if we avoid it it'll leave the city? It's a big world out there."

"I hope, because Six's really shaken." Nine then lowered his voice to only barely audible. "Do you think you could ask…?" He gestured back with his optics. Five briefly turned his head back before answering.

"Huh? Oh, no. No way." Five shook his head swiftly. "I'm lucky he's willing to work with me. I can't risk that."

"No. It's best you don't…" Nine agreed with a sigh. He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe Cat can look at the pictures. Anything's better than waiting for nothing."

Almost immediately after Nine finished this sentence, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard. Both turned back to see the twins hurrying to them. They pointed back eagerly and Cat hurried past them and towards the stairs, apparently getting the gesture first. Nine and Five then followed suit, with Five briefly stopping beside Fabrication, who seemed uninterested, to point him to the lift.

"The lift is raising!" Two called to Nine and Five once they were back in view. He and One stood in front of the lift, waiting for Seven to eventually appear. Cat came to a halt beside them, the twins stopping on each side of him, and waited as well. Then, appearing slowly in the raising lift, Seven came into view. Thankfully she seemed to be uninjured.

Before she could step out, the twins barged in and hugged onto her, even before Cat could try to move in. Adding in, One gave a quick call of, "Where on Earth have you been?"

"Trapped," Seven flatly answered. "Underneath a car all night, and most of this morning too." She sounded more annoyed than anything, but Cat felt his own disturbance intensify as he stepped in. As she brushed past and stood alongside him, he could see the dirt clinging to her white fabric. "Good morning, Kitty Cat," she quietly greeted in a sigh. He tensed further; something had been hunting her and he knew it.

"What happened?" Two asked with dread. "Six has been drawing pictures of a beast and we suspected the worst."

The Warrior perked at the comment and looked towards the cubby. "He has?" Driven by sudden curiosity, she strode over and headed into the cubby. Cat and the twins followed along with her. Six knelt on the floor, sketching away, and he paused long enough to look back. He gave a soft gasp.

"Seven!" His face broke into a smile. "You're okay!" He jumped to his feet and hurried over to throw his arms around her. He hugged her tightly and she held him back.

"I am now. Two said you were drawing something," she said, getting straight to the point. "Can you show me what it is that you're been drawing?"

"Sure," Six answered as he bent over and grabbed the paper. He then showed the drawing to the female and she looked down at the figure. After a few moments of studying it, her look changed. Her face suddenly got a look of brief dread and her lips tightened in concern. She soon afterwards turned and looked towards the others, along with the ones now standing in the throne room.

"That is what I saw," Seven confirmed, "but it was much worse in person…" With a small sigh, Seven lowered her head tiredly and rubbed her face. She could feel Cat's claw land on her opposite shoulder and gently move her in to a one-armed hug. He pressed his head against hers, unafraid to show affection in front of the others; even when One had previously given a hint that he knew something was happening.

"It was a large, hulking brute. It had tatters of some sort of fabric on its back; like a canvas bag that someone tried to stitch it fabric. Clutched in each hand was a short hatchet, an actual hatchet, and it had a head like a hammer…" Seven explained to the group. Then she shuddered inwardly, "But by far, the most unsettling part was its eye… It was blue instead of red. We've come to expect red, but it had an eye of blue."

Suddenly Cat was listening in much more intently, because he had never heard of a beast with blue optics. He turned to look at Fabrication, but realized that he hadn't followed them down to the throne room. He would inquire later.

"Good heavens…" Two quietly murmured as he looked towards Six. "I… I can see why you were so worried now." The artist nodded stiffly. "And it attacked you?"

"I knew that I couldn't take it alone," Seven admitted. "The beast- I guess I would call it a Hammer Beast- was too heavily armed. I had to hide and wait for it to eventually move on… Unfortunately, it took all night." She seemed uncomfortable admitting that she had hid, but at this point nobody blamed her. From what it looked and sounded like, it was too much for any single Stitchpunk.

"You made the right choice," Two reassured. One nodded in agreement with the shorter.

"Did you see which way it went?" Nine asked with growing dread. There was no way that a beast that dangerous would just vanish back into the Emptiness. Eventually, they would run back into it.

"No. My sight was limited, being under the car, and once it was gone I came straight back here. I didn't want to risk being stuck out there any longer," Seven assured with a firm nod following the statement. Nobody argued with this train of though. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some actual rest."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll head up to the Watchtower to keep an eye on the Beast," Five assured as he turned towards the stairs. While he did this, Cat released Seven and started heading for the lift. He only got a few steps before a hand grabbed his arm.

"And where are you going?" Seven inquired. Though she had a pretty good idea of where he was intending to go.

"Head hunting. I'll bring you back a hammer with a blue eye," Cat remarked with a light smirk and went to pull away. Seven's grip only tightened and he knew better than to fight it.

"Don't you dare. You can't handle that beast alone. _I_ couldn't handle it alone," Seven firmly insisted. Then she lowered her voice, "And I can handle you just fine."

"Dove…" Cat purred desperately. He turned to her and took her other hand in his own. "I have to do it. For your honor and mine."

"Lovely sentiment, but I'm not buying it. You just want to go drive it off so that you can reclaim your territory. I can see right through you," Seven remarked matter-of-factly. She was partially correct, but he did feel an overwhelming disturbance that the beast had cornered her; she whom Cat was attempting to court. A rogue beast, one that didn't seem loyal to his creator, had threatened his home and his Dove. He couldn't stand aside and let the beast just get away with it. Yet Seven was adamant, "Look, I'm shaken. I could use someone in the room with me while I sleep."

She didn't want to mention sleeping together bluntly in front of One, so this was a perfect median. Cat seemed disappointed, but Seven gave him a tug and managed to move him slightly. "Now I've never seen you turn down a nap," she playfully remarked. She would've if she allowed him the option to hunt, but Cat loyally followed along with her, managing to ignore his concern for his maker. He would be fine for the moment.

Watching them leave, Two decided to leave as well. "Being that the Beast may be heading this way, I'll head down into the Workshop and retrieve what we need immediately. Then we can stay up here for a few days and, hopefully, the beast will be thrown off our trail," the Inventor suggested. He was mostly speaking to Nine and Five, who were halfway up the stairs and heading to the lift. "I'll be up shortly afterwards." Then he turned to head to the bucket lift. Though he was immediately confronted by One standing blatantly in front of the lift.

"Huh, that's peculiar. I seem to be detoured," Two remarked as he peered up at One. One looked utterly unenthused. "How peculiar, this strange statue blocking me seems to be sucking a lemon." Without a word, One pointed off into the throne room, away from the bucket. "That's one way to court," Two quietly quipped with partial amusement, partial exasperation as he made a waving gesture and approached the stairs. "I'll be in the Watchtower if you need me." One gave a content nod and continued to his throne.

Eight, meanwhile, raised his brows at his boss. "Good job standing your ground-." One gave a nod and climbed the steps to his throne. "-But I thought you didn't want Two alone with the Machine." With a choke, One nearly stumbled in place, spinning on his heel to storm back down. However, he then noticed the weird looks that Eight and Six were giving him. Not wanting to be too obvious, he decided to let it go.

"Five would throw himself into the line of fire to shield Two. They will be fine," One denied and reclined back into his throne. It just seemed easier and they went back to their own things. It was good enough.

Back in Seven's room, Cat was already antsy. He stood by the door, shuffling from foot to foot, and Seven noticed quickly that he was hesitating. This was especially odd to her as, usually, he would already be stretched out on her bed, happy with messing with up sheets and blanket. It didn't take her long to make a guess.

"He'll be fine, Cat. Nine and Five are going to keep an eye on him, and you know how good of an influence Two can be," Seven assured as she slipped off her helmet and set it on the nightstand. Cat watched as she stretched out on her bed on her back, snatching her own pillow and tugging it firmly under her head.

Agreeing with her silently, Cat sat down at her feet and simply looked down at her. Eventually her optics opened just a small bit. Just enough that she could peer down at him with a questioning gaze. Yet he found his eyes exploring her, as they usually did. Searching over her soft fabric and the intricate patterns that came on her canvas. From her long, gently folded legs to her small, green tinted toggle; Seven was almost too much to look at. He could stare at her and be entranced, like one would stare at a shiny object or a rare gem found hidden in the Emptiness.

She raised her hand in a partial beckon. He immediately caved and moved in behind her. His sharp claws coddled her face and trailed along the back of her head as he laid down alongside her. She, in return, reached upwards and removed his helmet before setting it alongside her own. Then, in a surprising gesture- unexpected and bold, though more former than the latter- she leaned in to press herself into his chest. Seven usually wasn't this open to coddling. Usually she just waited until Cat would get affectionate, then would give equal responses.

Seven was prideful. Normally a gesture like this would've been read as too weak or too desperate, but she was tired and it was now Cat that was holding back. Thankfully, this minor gesture managed to coax more out of Cat. He put his arms around her and rested his head on hers, holding her close. She took in his scent and let her body relax.

"It didn't touch you," Cat suddenly stated. Though it was more of an indirect question than a direct statement. He trailed his claws gently along her back. "You're certain?"

"It didn't get to me, Cat," Seven assured, letting her optics close.

"You would tell me if it did?" Cat inquired, still unsure about the situation.

"I promise," Seven assured with another muffled yawn. "Now quiet down. Your dove needs her sleep or she's not going to be very pleasant."

"Unpleasant? My dove? Nah," Cat disagreed with a purr as he held her more securely. Finally, he could shut down enough to just relax in holding her. He could ignore the beast for the moment to comfort his mate.

But as soon as she gave him the confirmation, he would be out on the hunt. Sooner or later, he would drive the beast away.

* * *

While it wasn't early morning, golden light still managed to fall upon the watchtower through broken clouds. It would've been a beautiful sight to behold, but there was distraction. Five headed immediately to the spyglass and began to look through at the Emptiness far below. Two followed him while Nine approached the edge of the railing and stared down at the Cathedral.

"See any sign of it?" Nine asked and Five gave a frown as he nudged the spyglass around.

"No… Nothing at all…" He gave a small sigh and continued to look. It was a few minutes later, when he pulled away from the telescope, that he noticed he had forgotten something. Or someone, who was currently sitting in the lift and looking as disinterested as could be. "We should get started with work, I guess." As he stepped down from the telescope, Two took his place, sliding the more intense lens into place to look.

Fabrication stood from the lift as Five headed over to the corner to grab a tarp from nearby. He watched carefully as the healer bent over. "There's a loose patch on the roof, so what we're going to start with today is replacing the patch. Being that you have a few extra arms, this'll probably be a breeze!" Five assured with a comfortable smile as he handed the tarp over. "Let me get the scissors and the thread too. I'll just be a minute." Five then headed around to grab the appropriate supplies up into his arms.

Once finished, Five turned back to him. "So, we can fold back-," Five cut off as he noticed what the other was doing.

Fabrication reached upwards with his extra claws and grabbed ahold of the fabric. He slid it down further and intently stared at the obvious tear. It would rip worse if not dealt with, but he wasn't yet certain if a patch would be appropriate.

"Hold on, hold on," Five blurted out as he hurried over. "Let me just- Wait a moment- Let me untie this side so you can pull it down." He set down the tools and hurried over to the rope. While he untied the rope, Fabrication made a grab for the needle, and dragged it over towards him. To his slight frustration, Five came back and grabbed the needle for himself. However, the tent was easier to lower down, so at least Fabrication could manage that without being handicapped.

"Alright, so I'll stitch it closed and then we'll patch it," Five explained as he had the other hold it steadily. Fabrication disagreed with the use of their resources and wanted to speak, but his voice was caught. He sent a glance to Two and Nine, who were still by the telescope. He didn't want to speak in front of them, as it was the last piece of control he had, but he wanted to question this decision. Perhaps there was a reason for why he would risk using so much thread in a world where thread was ultimately finite. Though he had no doubt that there was enough to last any doll's lifetime.

Five threaded the needle and stood before the pale male, then reached upwards and began to stitch the tear closed. "It seems like it's nothing," Five admitted, voiced strained from his stretching. "But we want to try and keep rainwater off the watchtower as best as we can. We can't keep it all off, of course, but just keeping some of it off garuntees us a little longer without rotten wood." He looked towards the former machine and gave a smile. "And it would take more than stitches to replace that, trust me."

Yet as he worked, the machine's focus changed to something more peculiar; the fact that Five's face was patched. Parts could be replaced, so he didn't understand why the buttoned male hadn't replaced his eye. Only now, forced in close proximity and with nothing else to focus on, did Fabrication realize how truly odd it was. Now that he had a voice he could ask, but as long as he was near others he had to remain silent.

As Five finished his stitching, he noticed that he was being watched. He felt self-consciousness start to sink in as he directed his gaze back to the stitches quickly. "You're staring. Something wrong?" he inquired as he tied off the stitches and grabbed the scissors to cut the excess. "Don't let that go yet; I still need to patch it." He knelt to cut a proper sized patch while the machine gave an impatient exhale. If he would just let him do it himself then they would be finished, he was faster than this, and standing here idly was frustrating him.

Finally, Five stood and put the patch into place before quickly stitching it to the fabric of the roof. He was quick with his stitches and secured the patch. "There we go! Alright, let me just get the ropes again and we'll…" Fabrication released the fabric and headed over to the ropes that Five had untied, securing them again. "…Or you can do it. That works too." While feeling awkward, Five took the other's willingness as a good sign. "I know this isn't really the most exciting thing we could do."

The fake Stitchpunk resisted the urge to immediately agree.

"But, if you want, we could head down to the plane next and I'll show you how we get our electricity," Five offered with a small smile. "We need to check on it anyway." He could see a slight raise of the head and knew there was some form of interest there. They may have not had the parts to make the generator yet, but they had plenty of busywork. He looked over towards Nine and Two, "Two, Nine, coming?" Considering that he was just being stared at, he knew that being alone would simply be too uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes, we're coming," Two assured as he released the telescope. They hadn't been there long enough to see anything, but they couldn't afford to wait time watching all day. "We'll come back up later to look."

"Actually…" Nine slowly broke in as he continued to stand by the railing and stare down into the city. "I think I'm going to stay up here and keep an eye out for a while." He had a feeling that the beast hadn't gone far and wanted to see it for himself. "You three go on ahead. I'll be down later."

"If you're sure," Two said. "But if you do see the beast out there, ring the bell a couple of times." He pointed out the warning bell an Nine gave a nod of agreement. The three then boarded the lift and headed back down into the sanctuary.

Two and Five led Fabrication out onto the roof of the Cathedral. As dangerous as it looked, having a plane half lodged in it and an enormous hole in the roof, the roof was staying together well underneath the damage. Five stayed protectively close to Two as they approached the plane and climbed down to where they had some of the lights connected to it.

"Wind is one of the few resources that we have left at our disposal. Which is perhaps a good thing. Our world has already been so damaged by the war. Not to mention the oil drilling around the factory," Two explained matter-of-factly. He wasn't afraid to say it to the former machine. "The wind may not give us a surplus of electricity, but it is a constant source… As long as we can keep the plane in good enough condition."

He continued to climb down as Five fussily followed. "Two, maybe I should go first…"

But Fabrication was intrigued by this sudden suggestion. This meant than this plane, perhaps fifty years old, was still capable of creating some form of electricity. If not, then it meant that the Stitchpunks created something themselves. Either way, he wanted to see it. He wanted to know how it worked. He used his arms and scaled down past Two and Five, climbing along the side of the plane.

"Be careful!" Five called down after him. "It rained recently, it could be slick!" His fussing continued, but he was too busy clutching Two to follow him down.

Fabrication stopped at where one of the cables connected inside and started to look over what he could. Small sparks could be seen from inside and while he expected it all to be shoddy work, or something extremely basic, the wires inside seemed to be laced together. To his disbelief, at least one of these dolls knew something about welding. Two and Five seemed like the most likely candidates; that baffled him even more. He started to scour the machinery and looked at whatever he could see.

"He certainly is curious," Two admitted with a small smile. "So eager to learn and work. I take that as a good sign!" This brought a small smile out of Five.

"I do too… Though there was something last night." Five looked a little discontent. "He wouldn't go to bed on his own. I had to nearly drag him away from work to get him to stop."

"He was a machine before now. It must be difficult understanding our body. Imagine; the size difference alone must be devastating," Two pointed out as he looked over towards the being in question. "…Though he did choose to take this form. I suppose so that he could travel along with Cat. I couldn't imagine being trapped in that factory, regardless of what he was- or still is." He fell silent as he continued to watch the former machine's interest in their project. "But him being so proactive is a good sign."

"I think maybe if we could get the pieces for this generator and get him working that he'd be a lot happier," Five admitted to his mentor. "But with this beast out…"

"The beast won't stay here forever. In the meantime, we have plenty we can get to around the Sanctuary," Two stated with a nod. He then looked towards the former machine. He was willing to push aside the past for now, to ignore what he could and offer this chance. It could only be what the Scientist would want. It was the second chance that any sentient being deserved. Giving a small smile to Five, Two continued down the edge of the plane.

Only to be stopped at the sound of a bell ringing. Two froze, Fabrication flinched, and Five looked back up at the watchtower with dread. "He sees the beast, he had to," he pointed out. Indeed, Nine proceeded to ring the bell a few more times before stopping. "That means it could be nearby!"

"It can't get up here, Five. Calm down," Two assured as he approached the pale male and crouch down beside the opening into the depths of the plane. "Now if you're interested, I can tell you how we hooked this up." Typical Two, wanting to teach, worrying little about an impending threat. Five both admired and feared this train of thought.

He loaded his harpoon just in case.

* * *

 **Mable: In case you are wondering why Two is being so reassuring to the Fabrication, it is a method of 'killing with kindness'. He's not oblivious to the danger; he's hoping that forming a bond will help dissuade it. XD I sort of felt the need to mention that out of nowhere. Anyway, I'm sorry about the delay of this chapter. The next chapter will be posted once it's finished, hopefully in the next week. I hope you enjoyed!**


	29. Chapter 29: Unwanted Intruder

**Mable: This took much longer than expected. O.O Mostly because I had to rewrite the second half of the chapter halfway through. I think this chapter probably went through the most massive changes between what I started writing and ended up with, but perhaps you'll enjoy regardless. That's the hope! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Twenty-Nine: Unwanted Intruder_

"I think that it is time… That we acknowledge that we have a problem."

Two always was the one to speak the ideals of the many. As all the Stitchpunks gathered in the throne room, Two announced the thoughts of all that nobody was willing to admit. In had been a full week; seven glorious days of bright blue sky and sun. Yet they were trapped in the walls of the Cathedral, unable to leave, because of the beast that lingered outside. They saw it usually around dusk when it would patrol the area between the Cathedral and the Library, reminding them that it never went far.

"We're fine on supplies, but this… This is going to drive us mad. Sane creatures don't do well in captivity," Two pointed out. He was speaking directly to One, but his words were specifically aimed towards everyone. "And you know how I feel about confronting beasts, but we can't afford to wait until its dire that we leave."

"Then what do you suggest?" One lightly challenged. He didn't want anyone seeing him being softer on Two or they would get the wrong idea. "If this thing is as dangerous as you believe, then what would we get out of fighting it? It's only been a few days. It will move on eventually."

"That's what I hoped, but I'm doubtful," Two admitted. "Something lured it here- I fear perhaps the presence of Cat and the machine- and it doesn't look like it intends to leave willingly."

As One paused, considering this thought, someone else decided to get involved. Cat suddenly approached and fell onto a knee, bowing his head. Nobody was too shocked by this gesture as Cat had done it before. Though Fabrication, who was kept close to Five to be monitored, tightened his mouth and seemed to sharpen his gaze. Only Five managed to notice it and only because he looked over.

"Let me go out and fight it," Cat spoke with determination. "I can run off the beast, I just need your command and I will be on my way." Eight gave a dry chuckle afterwards. Not only did he think little of Cat's plan, which he did, but he also felt an inward displeasure at Cat's dramatic proclamation of loyalty.

"One Stitchpunk isn't going to take down that thing. Not that size, not with weapons that size," Eight pointed out with a somewhat amused smugness. Though this soon turned to a grimmer look at the weight of the situation. Indeed, it was a serious scenario.

"I agree with Eight," Seven suddenly volunteered as she stepped forward to stand alongside Cat. Cat turned his head to peer up at her, curious to why she completely dismissed his suggestion; perhaps even a little sore in his ego. "Someone going out and fighting that beast alone is out of the question," Seven assured, "but if a few of us went out prepared then we could drive it off, or silence it for good." The warrior's determination came through with her voice. "And since we're being diplomatic, we should all be involved."

There were a few moments of consideration. Then One gave a tired exhale; he knew that they were all determined and while he was willing to wait longer, he knew that they were somewhat correct. The beast was making no attempt to leave and Six was only drawing more sketches and having frequent nightmares. One stood from his throne and announced, "I hear what you are all saying and if you are truly willing to risk your life for this, then I agree that we should go ahead with this… 'Brilliant scheme'." He resisted the urge to scoff at the thought.

Seven turned to the others and looked around at them. "Cat and I will be heading out. Anyone else who is willing to fight with us is welcome to follow." She then turned and glanced back towards Eight. The guard silently nodded in agreement. She then looked over the others curiously, "Anyone else?"

"I'll go," Nine volunteered. Almost immediately, Six looked over in surprise and panic. He clutched onto his key tighter and silently shook his head. Nine didn't see this, but seemed determined whether anyone said something or not. "Beasts are usually distracted by my Lightstaff. Maybe I can draw its attention away from you three."

"That's a good idea," Seven encouraged with a nod. "But you'll need to be more careful than you were with the beasts we've faced before."

"I know," Nine insisted. "I can handle it. I know what we're going up against." His face was solemn, but he reassured this, even as Six looked to be falling apart nearby.

Five seemed uncomfortable as he wrung his hands together, yet knew he had to speak up. With a sigh, he volunteered, "I'll come with you too… In case someone gets injured then I can heal them." Both Seven and Nine seemed thankful for this, while Two looked concerned. Fabrication, again, had no reaction to the suggestion.

"Then it's settled. You all will grab your weapons and go drive the beast away from our home," One announced with finality. He then leaned over in his throne to address Eight. He stopped when he noticed Two's voice suddenly catching his attention. The inventor had approached Nine and Five, and was now making his own suggestions.

"If you two are going then I should certainly pitch in! I will come down with you both and go into the workshop-." Whatever the continued explanation would be, One was too focused on that beginning portion to pay attention to it. He gave a pointed frown and dismissed Eight- which was for the best as Eight was immediately bombarded by the twins- and approached the three Stitchpunks. "If we approach with caution then I'm sure- Oh, One, yes?" Two noticed One approaching and turned to him.

"I hope you do realize that you will not be going with them," One insisted, "and I truly doubt that Nine nor Five would agree with you fighting." He looked towards the younger males. Five averted his eyes and Nine said nothing; he knew that they weren't disagreeing with him.

Two stared for a moment before giving an amused chuckle. "You certainly do worry about me more than you let on. Don't you, One?" One's look turned quickly to surprise, then to a fraction of embarrassment. "Specifically coming over here to fuss on me. I do appreciate it, One, but I have no intention of fighting." Five gave a relieved exhale and Nine sent a small smile at Two's back. Two continued, unfazed, "I just mean to head down into the workshop. Both to work and to stay close in case anyone is damaged." He reached out and patted One's arm, "I can do more than fight."

"Ah, yes… Of course. It was foolish of me to assume elsewise." Something about how Two addressed him in front of everyone made him feel particularly strange. Almost meek, if that made any sense, and he fought the color that wanted to spread across his cheeks. Half of him felt scolded, but instead of anger he was simply flustered, and he turned to return to his throne.

"We'll all be careful!" Two called after him in assurance before turning back to Nine and Five. "Now, where were we?" He noticed how confused that they looked.

"…It's not just me, is it?" Five inquired as he looked to Nine. "One's acting… Just a little strange? One would've never walked away like that before." Nine nodded in agreement, even when he didn't know One as long as his friend had. Meanwhile, Two was now the one feeling the effects of embarrassment, hoping that they wouldn't read too deeply into it. After all, Two and One weren't hiding themselves that well.

Before Nine could point out his observations, and he was ready to do so, he was interrupted by Six boldly walking up. "I want to come and help." Nine blinked and glanced back at the striped artist.

"Six, I don't think that's really a good idea. You don't have a weapon and I'll be the distraction," Nine said as he tried to let him down easy. "Don't worry, we've got it taken care of," he remarked with a smile.

"I can pull my weight, Nine," Six assured. Then he looked downwards, "…And I have a weapon I can use." This wasn't true though. Unless he meant… Six chewed on his lip nervously and Nine caught on; he was talking about the telekinesis that he was hiding. While Nine's better judgement said that Six needed to stay safe and sound up here, he couldn't help but be curious at what the artist could do with this power.

The better judgement won out. "Six, I… While I'd be glad to have you along-."

"Then let me come along," Six interrupted. "At worst, I have to run and hide." This was true. Nine looked to Two and Five for their input.

"I don't… I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to be out there, really," Five admitted. "But Six, I mean if you're sure, we will protect you."

"It may be good to take Six along. After all, he had been seeing the beast in his dreams. Seeing it in person may bring about more premonitions," Two pointed out. "You may have the key to defeating it and simply not know it!"

"I have keys to a lot of things that I don't know what to do with," Six added in with a tiny smile as he tapped his key. Then he looked to Nine and let the smile drop back to desperation. "Let me come with you."

"…Okay," Nine caved. "Okay, okay, but only if you promise to stay behind us," the zippered male insisted. Six nodded eagerly, seemingly happy about the answer; or happy enough. "Five and I should grab our things. You can come with us if you'd like." Six eagerly agreed and followed along, with Two accompanying them as well.

In the middle of the throne room, the twins were still fussing on Eight. Four had her dainty hands caressing one of Eight's larger one's while Three stood nearby with a concerned look. Both were obviously concerned about Eight's incoming fight with the beast, regardless of Eight's own confidence.

"Alright, that's enough of that," Seven volunteered as she put a hand on Three's should and looked between her and Four. "We need to start planning this out. I can't have you two stroking Eight's ego; his head's big enough as it is."

"Hey," Eight protested with little offense. "If my head was smaller, I'd look like a freak of nature." He seemed more amused by Seven shooing off the twins than anything else. "And the plan?"

"Isn't much of one yet," Seven admitted as she turned back to him. Cat stood expectantly behind her while the twins stood a few feet away, still obviously listening in, but allowing the two to converse. "If Nine is able be an adequate distraction and Five can attack from a distance, then we can move in, but if the three of us aren't in sync then we'll fail. We need to be on the same page." Both of the others agreed with this idea.

"Here's the plan," Eight began. "I'll go head to head with it. I think I can fight back its hatchets long enough that you can come in from behind and get on its back."

"Right," Seven agreed and then turned back to Cat. "But I won't be able to stay on its back for long. Once I'm off, you will need to climb right back on. I'm sure you can do that." The male gave a nod of agreement; impressed to see how much charge Seven was taking. "We have more than enough time to find a place to hide outside of the Cathedral doors. Let's get our things and get moving."

It didn't take long for the Stitchpunks to gather their weapons and head for the bucket lift. When Six made the attempt to board, Eight reached out to stop him.

"It's alright," Nine broke in with reassurance. "Six won't be in the way and knows how to escape a beast. He can handle himself." He then looked to Six and sent him a small smile. Six smiled back, relieved at the defense, and Eight just shrugged and walked over to man the lever.

With them ready to head down, Two approached the bucket lift and closed the door behind them. "We'll head down after you all. If anyone gets injured, Creator forbid, I will be in the workshop," Two assured the lot. He gave a comfortable smile upon spotting Five's immediate look of disturbance, "But I doubt it'll come to that. Just keep your wits about you." There were nods of agreement.

As they started to lower, Seven looked to Cat, watching him fidget restlessly. "I'm sure you've been waiting for this," she remarked with just a hint of impishness. Not too much, as it certainly was a difficult situation to seek joy out of, but just enough to ease the mood. He smiled out from under his helmet and leaned in enough to tip his head and tap his to hers. He gave a brief purr as he drew back, looking down at her. Seven gave a small smile back, but then averted her eyes. Cat was going to distract her and she couldn't afford to get distracted.

She caught Nine watching them and looked to him questioningly. Nine quickly looked away and instead turned to Five, who was looking nervous, and put an arm around his shoulders reassuringly. It didn't look like he cared much, but Seven still felt odd about these public displays of affection. After all, she wasn't even certain what this was between Cat and her. Shaking it off, she focused her attention on the task at hand. Again, she couldn't afford to let Cat be a distraction.

"You'll keep an eye on the twins?" Two called back to One as he waited for the lift to stop at the bottom. He expected that one of them would start sending it up immediately afterwards. "One?"

"Yes, yes. They'll be under my watchful eye," One waved off in a dismissive way. However, he found himself pointedly soured on the idea that Two would be down in the workshop alone with the Machine. Not that he expected Two to do anything out of line, as he knew Two wouldn't, but he had no faith in the Machine. Yes, it had been passive in the days that it had been with them, but One could easily see this passivity as a means to an end. It only made sense for it to hide its true colors to be treated better.

One made his decision quickly; Two couldn't be alone with it.

"But perhaps…" One began once more, "we should accompany you. Yes, of course, it's closer to the fray, but no respectable leader would remain idle as their followers were all at work." The leader stood from his throne and approach Two, who seemed surprised by the call. The twins were also staring as he passed by them. "I assume this is no trouble?"

"No, certainly not! I'm humbled that you may take an interest in my work," Two replied with a growing smile. One was an excellent actor at times; Two couldn't see through to his true intentions. He then started to explain about the generator and electricity, and a multitude of other plans that One had little interest in. They boarded the lift with the Inventor still jovially going on about these plans that he had been waiting so long to work on, which were finally within his reach.

It was once they started to lower in the lift that things became a bit more heated. More specifically, between the Leader and the Machine. While the twins turned the crank and Two continued to chatter on, now about how the others would possibly defeat the threatening beast, One turned his attention on Fabrication. Unsurprisingly, it was staring back at him, but it's usually apathetic features were now tainted with a sour look. It was frowning and its gaze was intense; just a mere hint away from a full glare.

One decided to silently retort in the only way he saw fit; his optics narrowed, his mouth turned stern, and he utterly scowled back at the former machine. Neither backed down and neither really changed their expression again; they just started each other down with this white-hot contempt. Even Four pointed it out to Three and both watched as they continued to manage the crank. The tension was evident, even as Two continued to talk absentmindedly. As though he didn't notice it, until-.

"I see what you two are doing and I refuse to acknowledge it," Two suddenly broke in. His casual planning had suddenly halted for a brief scolding. "Staring each other down like a couple of Beagles on the hunt. Keep this up and I'll have no choice but to send you two back into the Sanctuary, together." Not even One could've concocted a crueler punishment.

"We are doing no such thing," One denied as he broke eye contact. "Go on, what was that about hunting Beagles?" Two gave him a dumbstruck look in response. With a small sigh, he turned away and made a shooing gesture, deciding to simply remain stubbornly quiet for the next few minutes. Once they made it to the floor of the Cathedral, Two led the group into the workshop, with One wandering by his side.

"The generator would certainly help when the loss of electricity on the windless nights," Two pointed out as he pushed through the curtain and stepped into the center of the workshop. "I wish Five could be here to assist, but considering the circumstances… Considering the circumstances, I more wish for his safe return than anything else," Two forced a chuckle as he looked back to the twins scurrying through. They then stood to the side as Fabrication stepped through.

"I have everything we should need already prepared," Two assured as he beckoned the faux Stitchpunk closer. Using similar methods to what he used to ease Cat's original hesitance, he took Fabrication by the arm and guided him to the workbench. He gave an assuring pat on the back, "Five said we were going by your directions, so I'm giving you the reins."

Fabrication's interest perked at the parts and pieces that had been gathered for him. With Two not dictating the design or presenting him with a set of restrictions, he certainly could see what he could create. Reluctance to submit or not, Fabrication was born to create; he wasn't living if he wasn't creating. He started to immediately go through the pieces and sorted them quickly, then pulled Two's tools closer and began to work.

In the meantime, Two turned to speak to One. He proudly went about his hopes and ideals as One listened intently. Even when he wasn't being so, Fabrication could feel his smugness. He doubted the leader was as interested as he was acting to be; no doubt he was just a tyrant stepping in on a Scientist with goals and ambition. It was almost the same scenario as before. Though this time he was no longer defenseless. He wasn't a trapped machine and One wasn't the Chancellor. He had neither his power nor his aggression.

…He almost wished he was like the Chancellor. Maybe then he could've been able to fix past mistakes. His smirk dropped away and he continued to work.

Outside, the rest of the Stitchpunks were wandering through the Emptiness and heading in the direction of the Library. Seeing that this was the area where the Hammer Beast had been looming around, they decided that scouting said area was a good starting point. Then they would be able to ambush whenever it appeared.

They soon had themselves huddled underneath the destroyed remains of a stone wall. The group were all knelt, listening in closely, and concocting a plan.

Eventually, Cat cocked his head to the side and focused in. "Something's here," he forewarned. "…Doesn't sound very heavy." His optics began to glow in a forewarning red tinge as suspicion settled in. "It's not it."

"Let me check," Nine assured and he stood. "I'll scout over and see what's there." He was abruptly halted by a hand on his wrist that yanked him back down.

"I'll handle it. Wait here," Seven assured as she released him. She then lowered her helmet and hurried off before anyone could stop her. Nine gave a discontent exhale and looked between Five and Six; Five was tightly clutching his harpoon and Six was coddling his key. Eight and Cat looked the opposite; instead of anxious, they both looked pumped and ready to fight. Eight was gripping his knife and Cat still was listening in, with his optics shifting around rapidly every time he heard the smallest movement.

Cat then raised his head expectantly, signaling Seven's incoming return. She appeared around the corner in less than a few seconds and raised her helmet to reveal a grim look. "It's not the Hammer Beast," Seven confirmed. This sent a wave of surprise through the group- save Cat, who expected as much, and Six, who seemed content just frowning. "I'm not sure what it is, but it looks slow enough… But with the Hammer Beast's frequency outside of the Cathedral, I don't know if it's worth it. It might see the fight."

"That might scare it off," Five pointed out. Though immediately his mouth gaped as though gasping for air, right as he realized what he was saying. "Not that I'm saying we should attack _another_ beast! It's going to be hard enough to attack one, if the other comes and they both try to fight- We couldn't fight two beasts without injury. The odds are against us; we just wouldn't," Five sputtered out to convince the others. "Maybe we should go back inside and wait for it to leave."

Seven and Nine both looked prepared to agree and would've if Eight wouldn't have suddenly broke in. "Wait," he raised a hand to stop the others. "This is how we got stuck here in the first place. I'm not letting another beast set up shop on our doorstep." He pushed himself up with his knife and stood to full height. "Just tell me what to deal with it."

"Oh, perfect idea. We'll just send you to run out their blind," Seven retorted and stood as well. Her unimpressed gaze attempt to shoot Eight down, "Fine, you think we should fight? We'll fight. It doesn't seem to be as dangerous as the Hammer Beast at least…" Her gaze turned much sterner, "But if we get ambushed because of this, I'm purposely holding you responsible for this." Eight gave a silent nod.

"We need a plan," Nine volunteered and then looked to Six. "Did you see a second beast in your visions?" Suddenly the artist was on the spot and his mismatched optics darted around at the others. Nervousness began to settle in. "Six…?" Nine's desperation started to slip into concern. He didn't like how anxious Six suddenly looked. "Just take a deep breath and think about it. It's fine if you don't remember," Nine assured. He took Six's wrist and tried to coax it away from grabbing his key as tightly as he was. He didn't want to see the fragile nibs damaged.

Six finally admitted in meet tone, "I didn't see it." He looked around for the others' reactions, but there weren't much of them.

Being that Six couldn't help them, Seven took his place with her own details. "The beast has a globe for head and one eye. There's some sort of turret above the eye, but I doubt it's able to fire bullets," she explained, "The biggest threat looks to be its arms."

Cat broke in as soon as Seven was finished, "And it's slow. We'll use its speed against it." Apparently, he could still hear it and stood. The color in his optics grew more intense as he prepared himself. Before he could simply rush off, Nine again decided to stand and offer his services.

"Let me go out first and distract it. Then I'll be able to see how it's going to react if we all rush to attack it," Nine insisted. Nobody protested, though he could feel Six briefly reach out for his leg for a split second. His hand only touched his leg for a second before recoiling to rest in his lap.

"Just be careful. We don't know anything about this one," Five pointed out. "We don't even know what it's doing here."

"These beasts aren't a coincidence," Nine pointed out in return. He then looked over to Cat. "They're coming after the Machine, most likely. They must be drawn to him being here." As to answer, Cat lowered his head and looked to the ground, with his claws tightening. He agreed; they were probably all here because they were drawn by what small influence the Fabrication Machine still had. They all wanted to collect their creator and take him back to the factory, but Cat couldn't let that happen.

As far as he was concerned, he was the Machine's sole protector after staying by his side for so many long years. If that meant driving off these other beasts then so be it.

"Once you start hearing the beast getting riled, then that's the signal to try and ambush it," Nine instructed and then, without further ado, he made his way around the wall and out onto the open. It was then that he could see the beast that was dragging itself around near the entrance of the cathedral. 'Dragging' was the best word for what it was doing.

Its upper body was comprised of a thick glass orb that seemed to be filled with some sort of fluid, which had a 'head' and shoulders underneath. The single red eye was set in between the shoulders on the torso and, as Seven said, there seemed to be a small barrel of something jutting out above its eye. Unlike Seven, who seemed to shrug off the hints, it seemed to Nine that the beast was made to fire out whatever fluid was cooking in the sphere above its head. He would have to forewarn the others when he could.

It had long arms that ended in claws and moved itself around by 'walking' on them and drug behind a mass of wires. Nine couldn't tell if it was damaged or had been made like this. Though it didn't really matter and he turned on his Lightstaff before running out into its line of vision.

The Turret Beast's eye slid from the Cathedral's entrance and landed on Nine. It slowly turned its body to face the zippered male and released a whirring noise. Steam poured out of the wires and tubes that hung from its body as it gave a small shudder. With a loud pop, it shot out a glop of the thick fluid. Nine dove out of the way as the clump of dark, heated fluid hit the ground. It smelled noxious and almost immediately began to thicken on the ground.

Another release of steam signaled that the Turret Beast was going to fire again and Nine made a mad dash out of the way. He flung himself behind a cement block and just barely dodged the splatter of fluid that splattered on the box. He watched as it again began to harden and cringed, but then flinched when he heard heavy footsteps. He gasped and choked, calling out to the unseen Stitchpunk. "Eight! Stay back! Take cover!" Apparently Eight didn't hear him and Nine peered over just in time to see the guard taking a swing at the beast.

The guard's blade struck one of the Turret Beast's arms back. It slightly recoiled, blinked, and then started to release steam.

"Eight, move, quick!" Nine blurted out, but Eight didn't even have the chance. With a grunt, he was knocked back with a glob of the fluid and knocked onto his backside. His knife slid out of grasp and Eight went to right himself. Yet as he started to sit upwards, the thick mixture seemed to get heavier. It thickened and hardened like cement, and Eight struggled against it with slow, labored movements. The Turret Beast started to move in and Nine made a mad dash, but he wouldn't make it in time.

The Turret Beast raised its body and revealed what resembled a metal beak underneath it. It opened this beak to reveal dark space inside, as though it intended to consume Eight, and he tried to slide back. Right before the beast was about to bite onto him, something struck its glass dome and ricocheted off. It was a needle and Nine followed the trajectory to see Five standing at the Cathedral's entrance. The Turret Beast didn't even have time to fire back before Seven swooped in and slid underneath. Using her spear, she cut through some of the tubes, and was soon submerged in released steam.

Cat now rushed in and went straight for the beast's eye with every intention to block its vision. Nine also decided to step in to help, but instead went to free Eight. The mixture was only continuing to solidify and Nine had to start chipping at it with the end of his Lightstaff. Unfortunately, the beast's distraction wasn't going as well. Seven was caught off guard by the steam and pinned down by one arm. Cat managed to slide under its underbelly and slice into more of the tubes, but went back for Seven.

As Cat tried to cut at the wires he could see hiding in the beast's claws, the second claw struck him back, trying to knock him underneath it. It then proceeded to try and drop its beak down upon him. Using its distraction to her advantage, Seven started to wedge a claw back using her spear and slide out from under the Turret Beast's grasp. The beast continued to try and get ahold of Cat until its eye landed on Eight and Nine. Deciding to put the zippered male out of commission as well, it released a noxious cloud of steam that engulfed Cat.

Being the only one with the ability to warn them and with his needles no longer distracting the beast, Five gave a warning cry. "Nine! Eight! Look out!"

Nine looked over in time to see it preparing to fire. A shove on his leg alerted him to flee as Eight intended to stare down the beast alone, even if he was already trapped; nobody else would be falling with him. He was sent a determined look in return before Nine continued to chisel in a desperate attempt to free the other Stitchpunk. Then the Turret Beast fired and the glue came at them.

Yet it never hit them.

Nine only had a moment to register when Six jumped in front of them. He couldn't stop the smaller or push him out of the way; all he could do was watch in awe as the fluid came to a halt in the air. It compacted itself into a sphere shape and shuddered in sync with Six's shaking hands. The Artist stood with his hands raised, head partially lowered in the pressure from what he was doing, and maneuvered back the force. It was hard to tell whether Nine or Eight was in more shock at the sight; after all, Nine knew of Six's powers, but never thought he could do this.

Then with a shaky cry, the glue launched back at the beast. Six was knocked back onto the hardened sealant that Eight was trapped under and struggled to stay conscious as Nine continued to try and free Eight. Even with the situation, Nine couldn't help but feel overwhelming relief. "You just did that!" Nine blurted out with shaky laughter. "That- You did that!" He couldn't tell if he was delirious from the fight or the rush that came with seeing Six's powers, but it was amazing either way.

The Turret Beast could've never anticipated that its own glue could be shot back at it. The mixture splattered into its eye and on its arms, and while the latter could be ignored the former was leaving it temporarily blinded. It stumbled back and Seven took the moment to free herself while Cat climbed out from underneath the beast. Now both stared down the blinded beast, knowing that they would have to take it down together.

By the entrance, Five was still watching in awe. The entire fight was both amazing and terrifying, and he knew that he needed to get to Eight, Six, and Nine, but was also too stunned to do it. His choice was abruptly stolen from him when he suddenly noticed a low groaning. The healer turned his head and his single optic landed on the source of the noise. There, coming from the Emptiness and coming straight at him with slow, heavy steps was the Hammer Beast. Its blue eye wasn't set on the Cathedral or the battle either; it was only on Five.

And just as soon as the fight was in their favor, they had lost all control.

* * *

 **Mable: There may be some errors. I tried to fix them, but I wrote this in the wee hours of the morning and am noticing a lot more than spellcheck can catch. Sorry about that; I hope they aren't too distracting! The next chapter will be up sooner than this one was; I'll try my best to make sure of this. I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Fun fact: A Turret is not just a tower or a weapon holder, but also a type of mollusk. A Squid is also a mollusk. Somehow both became a beast. XD**


	30. Chapter 30: Blue Eyed Monster

**Mable: Creator, I only just now realized that I haven't updated since** _ **August!**_ **Between my FNAF fic and my recent 2 fic for the anniversary, goodness, what happened?! D8 Well, uh, I think I'm back on schedule now. I should be, so hopefully the wait doesn't get that long again. Sorry about that! Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Thirty: Blue Eyed Monster_

Cat threw himself at the mercy of the Turret Beast's front so that he could deal a few, heavy blows to its underside. His claws came in fast with all the force that he could push into them causing small dents to appear in the flimsy metal. He knew that it would break; the Turret Beast had to be made lightweight to compensate for its body's design. Thus, he smirked in triumph when the metal started to break apart under his claws. It was at this moment that the Turret Beast truly turned its attention on him.

It shoved its arm back and swung at Cat. Cat reacted quickly and rolled back out of the way, landing on all fours and letting his claws dig into the dirt to slow his movement. The Turret Beast released a plume of steam as it prepared to fire off more of its glue.

"Cat!" Seven called as he rushed in. "Boost me up!" This got another slight smirk from Cat and he brought his arm up to brace himself. Seven dashed in and sprung off his back, diving in at the Turret Beast. Her spear stabbed in beside the turret and stuck into the metal. While it didn't do significant damage, it did stick the turret in place and trapped it from moving around. The Turret Beast quickly noticed that it lost its ability and began to panic. It thrashed its body around and tried to grab ahold of Seven, who was still hanging from her spear.

Back on his feet, Cat charged in to continue his assault on the front of the beast. With them distracting the beast, Nine managed to get Eight freed and helped Six to his feet. He put an arm behind his back and held him upwards as Eight stood in front of them with his knife bared.

"I'm going in!" Eight forewarned the two before charging ahead towards the Turret Beast. He stabbed his knife forward and only just missed Cat as he forced the knife into the opening he had made. The knife slipped in through the metal easily and around it released more steam. Eight coughed, but ignored it and continued trying to saw into it.

Nine wanted to get in on the battle, but he knew that he had an obligation to get Six to safety. He led Six in a far loop around the feud and towards the Cathedral. "I'll take you over with Five. Stay with him while I try to help," Nine commanded as he led the weakened ragdoll along. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Six squeaked, "I didn't- I didn't think water would be so hard." He was starting to recover slowly but fumbled over his feet. With the amount of fluid shot at them, it shouldn't have been too heavy. Yet somehow the motion of holding it compact for so long had been more difficult than he could've imagined.

"Somehow, I don't think that's water," Nine remarked in a slightly playful fashion. This playfulness immediately disappeared as Nine came to an abrupt halt and stared ahead at the Cathedral. There was no sign of his best friend, but he saw a familiar form lumbering into the Cathedral in pursuit of something. There was only one thing that would linger the Hammer Beast into the Cathedral. "Five!"

Inside the Cathedral, Five stumbled back towards the workshop, repeatedly reloading and firing onto the Hammer Beast. Is seemed neither detoured nor injured by any of the strikes and ruthlessly plowed on towards him. It was then that his quiver ran empty, except for a bundle of hooks that would be worthless to use. Five gave a choke of horror before he turned and began to sprint into the workshop. The Hammer Beast also quickened its pace, but it was nowhere near the speed of a Stitchpunk. Five barged through the workshop and startled the ones inside.

"Five?" Two asked in alarm as he watched Five run for the needles. "Five, what happened?!"

"It's almost here!" Five choked out. "The beast- it's right outside! It's coming here!" The healer struggled to grab as his needles while Two gasped and went for his lance.

"What do you mean it's almost here?" One demanded, but Five didn't answer in time. In actuality, he didn't have to answer at all, for it revealed itself right afterwards.

Suddenly the upper body of the Hammer Beast pushed its head through the curtains. All the Stitchpunks reacted accordingly, staring in alarm as it started to try shoving itself through. It tried to slide one of the axes in, but seemed more interested in using it to crawl its way inside, which was quite impossible. Before anyone could stop him, Two sprung forward and stabbed forward with his lance.

"Two, no!" Five cried in panic. The axe, which made it in only a small way, nudged towards Two and the inventor hurried to its other side where he managed to stab through its ragged fabric with his lance. The Hammer Beast let out a groan and there was a dull thump from outside the workshop. It was then that the Hammer Beast revealed its second arm. To Two's sudden alarm, its second axe was gone. Unlike the one arm which was fully one with the axe of a weapon, this one had a crudely finished hand which lashed out.

Two stabbed against the metal arm enough that it clattered and scraped against the lance's blade, but it did nothing to stop the fingers that grabbed onto Two's ties. The Hammer Beast started to draw back and forcefully dragged the inventor out of the workshop. Or it tried to. Just as Two dropped his spear and as the Hammer Beast slid it axe arm out, another got involved.

Fabrication had watched dormant as the beast tried to barge into the workshop and showed no reaction. He watched Two try to fight back and showed no reaction. He watched the hand grab Two and start to steal him away- and then he snapped. Something about seeing the older Stitchpunk being grabbed and yanked away just _unbearable._

He threw himself forward with his red optics being overtaken by static. He grabbed ahold of Two possessively and began to yank him back while lashing out at the blue-eyed beast's head with his machine-like arms. It ducked back enough to protect it eye and tried to continue taking the Stitchpunk out. Metal arms clamped onto the doorway as Fabrication held onto Two relentlessly. Briefly this stopped the Hammer Beast, but it wasn't enough to get Two away from it.

Seeing this, One turned on Five, "The eye! Shoot it in the eye!" Five attempted to shove a needle into the harpoon. "Now, damn it! It's going to take him!"

"I've got it!" Five cried out as he aimed the harpoon. He narrowed his gaze and focused in on the large, blue eye. "I've got it…" Then he fired and watched as the needle cracked into the lens covering the optic.

The Hammer Beast bellowed and released Two, causing him and Fabrication to fall back onto the workshop floor. It then fumbled back away from the curtains and blocked its injured eye with its hand. Five and One both rushed to Two's side.

"Two, are you okay?! Did it hurt you?!" Five blurted out as he crouched down beside the inventor. Two was obviously shaken and struggled to slow his breathing, but managed to shake his head. Fabrication still clung to him, which One noticed and moved in to wave him off.

"Unhand him. He needs air," One commanded quickly. While Fabrication looked hesitant, he did as was commanded, and slowly released the small Stitchpunk. The leader then looked from the false Stitchpunk to Two, rested his hand protectively on his shoulder, and then looked from Two to the curtain. "It's still out there… It's going to come back for him!"

"I-I'll run it off! I'll… I'll try for the eye again!" Five proclaim with false bravado as he headed to the curtains and shoved them open. One once again set his gaze on Fabrication.

"It's your beast, is it not?! Take control of it! Drive that _thing_ out of here!" One commanded. Fabrication hesitated there, staring blankly ahead for a few seconds, and then snapped to attention to grab one of the larger pair of stitching scissors from the wall. He then hurried out after Five and nearly ran right into the healer, who had stopped outside the door.

Five was taking aim to fire at the Hammer Beast, but its back was turned towards him, and it became quickly obvious why this was. While they were in the workshop, Eight somehow noticed what was going on and had followed the beast into the Cathedral, and was currently trying to fight off the massive beast. The battle was strangely balanced between the two, but not in the way that one would imagine. With one swing of its axe, the Hammer Beast could knock Eight's blade back and send the guard stumbling. However, the Hammer Beast was extremely sluggish, leaving Eight plenty of openings to attack.

"I don't have a clear shot!" Five forewarned Fabrication, noticing him as he moved to his side. "Unless I hit the eye, it's not going to do anything!... Might not even then." Indeed, cracked lens or not, the beast was attacking and moving as though it could see fine. Though something was certainly wrong with it. It wasn't nearly as aggressive as one of the Machine's creations were supposed to be and it hadn't even shown the slightest interest in him. This wouldn't do at all. It had to be driven out and away; it had to be broken.

Fabrication rushed in and scaled the back of the beast, scouring for weak points, looking for any place that he could sink the scissors in. Finally, he dove them into the head area, shielded by fabric and body, and received a reaction. For a split moment, the beast's optic changed from the soft blue to a violent red, and in the moment it returned to blue the entire situation changed. It dropped its second axe and reached back to grab Fabrication. He intended to resist its grip, only to find that its hold on him was much stronger than its hold had been on Two.

It ripped the false Stitchpunk off and threw him to the ground. Then it quickly lifted its other axe and brought it down heavily towards his back. Fabrication skirted out of the way just in time. He turned towards the beast, staring it down with forewarning red optics and static, and backed away slowly with his machine arms. A normal beast should have recognized him and should have backed down, but the Hammer Beast only became more aggressive. It gave a warning groan and started to move in faster, raising its axe once more.

Then a needle flew into the darkness around the beast's eye. It wasn't a direct hit, but it must have hit something sensitive as the Hammer Beast stumbled back one step. Eight now rushed the beast from the front once more and swung his knife to knock its remaining axe aside. He stabbed in, barely missing its middle, and the beast leaned down to grab its other weapon. Five, meanwhile, ran to Fabrication's side and the two prepared for the continuing battle.

Outside, the Turret Beast battle came to a halt with a final blow. After so much struggle, Seven had gotten underneath the Turret Beast beside Cat. It tried to swipe down with its arm and Cat just managed to use brute strength to block it, holding with his entire body until his feet dragged through the dirt, digging his claws in. Behind him, nearly back to back, Seven stared up into the underside of the beast and saw through the sliced tubing, higher into the bottom, seeing right where the metal was thinner.

When the Turret Beast shoved harder, Seven was ready. With a growl, Cat was pushed back towards her and leaned down to try to stop it from getting any closer. Seven used this to her advantage and rolled herself back onto Cat. So, when he was shoved back, she was shoved upwards, and she propelled her spear forward with a cry as the blade stabbed into the underbelly, deeper than ever.

It bellowed out and they were engulfed by steam and pelted with drops of the thick glue. Disorientation took over and for a moment Seven couldn't figure out where she was under the beast. Thankfully, Cat grabbed her arm in the last second and forced his way past the weakening arm of the beast as it crumpled in on itself. The beast's red eye dimmed as it fell to the ground. Finally, the battle with it was over.

"You okay?" Cat inquired in concerned, resting his hands on her shoulders and carefully checking over her face.

"I'm fine," Seven assured as she wiped the steam off her lenses. As her optics cleared, she noticed the drops of glue hardening on Cat's arms. "You've got some of it on you," she forewarned as she reached out to fussily try to peel it off.

"Eh, could've been worse," Cat shrugged off. Though he then twitched with a hiss of pain when some of the glue stung his fabric when coming off. "…Could've been better too."

Seven sent him a small smile and continued to work. They only had a few seconds of this before Nine suddenly called to them, noticing they were alright. "The Hammer Beast is in the Cathedral!"

Giving a startled jump, Seven looked back and Cat looked past and over her. "What?!" Seven cried in alarm. Though there was no need for any further words. She pulled back from Cat and started to sprint towards the Cathedral. Immediately they were back into the fray and entered the Cathedral in time to see Eight's fight against the Hammer Beast. Seven and Cat began to rush in as Nine and Six followed, with Six finally able to walk on his own. They were all prepared for a battle.

What they weren't prepared for was what happened when the Hammer Beast noticed the Stitchpunks moving in. It turned its body, scanned the lot, and then looked back to Eight. It lashed out with its axe in a quick swipe, hitting Eight's blade and knocking him back to arm's length. Then, without any telegraphing of what it intended on doing, it started to run towards the entrance of the Cathedral, directly at Seven, Cat, Nine, and Six. For a moment, Seven, Cat, and Nine intended to stand their ground, thinking the beast was preparing to attack.

Six was the first to realize that it didn't intend to stop. With this realization, he grabbed Nine and yanked him out of the way, giving a forewarning, "Move!" Seven took this as a sign to do the same with Cat, forcibly tackling him out of the way when it was obvious that he wouldn't move. The Hammer Beast charged by like a bull and managed to reach a higher speed than ever expected. It barreled out of the Cathedral and disappeared into the Emptiness. Seven and Cat hurried after it, Eight following slower, but once at the door it was obvious that the beast was gone.

"It just left?!" Seven asked in confusion. She stared around out at the Emptiness and searched for any trace of it. "Why would it leave?!"

"Something's wrong with it," Eight called as he caught up with the two. "It attacked the machine too. The thing's been acting weird."

"Creator-," Cat blurted out and suddenly turned on his heel, sprinting back into the Cathedral, "-wait for me."

"I ain't going after that thing!" Eight called back after the fleeing being. Cat didn't seem to acknowledge his comment and continued back to Fabrication to look over him and check for wounds.

"So, what do we do?" Seven asked Eight directly. "I can go after it alone, but I don't want to if it'll be a hopeless endeavor." The guard shook his head in disagreement, clearly intending not to follow it. "It could just ambush us out there, I suppose… Help me close the Cathedral doors, Eight."

While Cat checked on Fabrication, Five turned his attention on Two who stepped out of the workshop with One and was approaching. "It's gone, Two. It ran out when everyone came in," Five explained as he pulled Two into a protective hug. Two still seemed shaken after the event and looked towards the front doors, watching as Seven and Eight pushed them closed.

"Well… Perhaps it will think twice before it comes back…" Two suggested. One scoffed at the thought, but didn't say anything further to protest it. He instead lingered behind the inventor with a clear frown at the situation.

"What happened?" Nine asked as he approached. It didn't take him long to notice that something was amiss. Especially with how Five was clinging to his mentor. "What did it do? Two?"

"It grabbed ahold of me, but I'm fine," Two explained. He then watched as Nine's face fell to the same horror that Five's once held. "No, don't start worrying about it now! It wasn't even able to take me from the workshop. He was sure of that." Two gestured towards Fabrication to direct the comment towards him. He then looked to the Fabrication, "Thank you." Fabrication averted his gaze with a noise that sounded like a cough.

This all raised some confusion in Nine, but he stemmed his curiosity as Seven and Eight started to return. "We ran into our own trouble. There was another beast out there before the Hammer Beast appeared, but Seven and Cat finished it off," Nine explained. Five looked relieved, One looked disturbed, and Two looked curious; at least everyone was acting as expected after such a devastating assault.

"The one outside had red eyes," Cat explained to the Fabrication. The latter simply stared towards the ground, nearly lost in thought. Whatever the optic colors meant, the two seemed to recognize that it was significant. It had to explain why the beast, who the Machine must have created at some point, had gone from semi-passive to overwhelming aggressive towards its creator's avatar.

"We've got bigger things to worry about," Eight forewarned as he stopped outside of the group. A few of them, who weren't still lingering and worrying about Two, looked back at him. Neither Six nor Nine looked at him, so both were taken rather off guard at his next words. Out of seemingly nowhere, Eight blurted out, "Six, what the hell was that back there?"

Six's mouth opened and closed as he briefly tried to form coherent words. Just as Nine turned back with a desperate look, trying to silence Eight with a look alone, Six found a flimsy defense. "I-I don't know what you mean… You all were fighting and I just- I didn't do anything." He squeezed his sharp fingers around his key to calm himself down. In the rush after the battle, he had hoped that Eight would forget what he saw.

"No, I saw what you did. Nine saw it, Cat and Seven probably saw it, the beast saw it. You stopped that thing in midair, stopped it right in front of you, and sent it flying back at the beast. Hands down, that's the weirdest thing that happened today," Eight assured, putting his knife away and crossing his arms. One sent Eight a scrutinizing glare. He didn't think that Eight would lie, but he did know that Eight could've been mistaken. Especially if the guard had been anywhere near his magnet.

To Six's misfortune, Cat decided now to chime in, "I saw it too." Cat sounded much more relaxed about it, as though he thought it was something normal, even when Fabrication looked at him with his own disbelief.

"You saw it," One repeated, clearly doubting his statement just as much as he doubted Eight's own.

"Saw some of it. He put his hands up like this," Cat raised his claws in front of him to mimic what Six did, "and stopped it with his mind." It finally looked like a few of the others were starting to believe the account. Mostly because of how determined Eight was and how direct Cat was, neither of them showed any sign of lying.

"Cat!" Nine scolded before even thinking it through. He knew that he had to do damage control of the situation. He sputtered and looked towards the others, "It's not what you all think."

"Yes, it is!" It was Six's cry that stopped Nine's protests fully. The Artist moved his hands from clutching his key to tugging his yarn. "They're both right! I moved it without touching it! I caught liquid, out of the air, _with my mind,_ and threw it back!" He was already panting, feeling his secret come out so easily after so long in fighting it. He slumped defeatedly, dragging his fingers over his face. "I'm a freak of nature."

"You say, while standing beside those two," Eight chimed in and directed his attention over to Cat and Fabrication. Compared to everyone else, even the still baffled Nine, he and Cat were the only ones who weren't nearly frozen in shock. "So, this isn't a new thing," the guard deduced with a partially suspicious look. Nine looked back between him and Six, who continued not to look at anyone in the optics.

"…No… No, it's not," Six admitted quietly. He then looked to Nine with a pleading look, "Nine already knew about it. I made him stay quiet."

"I wanted to stay quiet," Nine protested back, directly to Six. Then he looked amongst the others, "We… Didn't really know how everyone would react."

"Again," Eight began and ended by gesturing directly at Cat and Fabrication. Before he could say anything more, and he looked like he was about too, Two spoke up.

"My Creator, you're all serious," Two gasped in disbelief. He took a few steps closer to Six, out of Five's still present grasp. "I've never heard of such a phenomenon existing before! How… How peculiar- Here," Two stopped to quickly pat himself down and look around. "Does anyone have anything small?" Five proceeded to pat back on his quiver, but before he could he was interrupted by the squeak of Nine unscrewing his Lightstaff's bulb.

"I think I know what you're wanting," Nine volunteered and handed it over. "Careful, it's a little hot."

"Thank you. Now Six," Two took the bulb and turned to Six, then held it out to him. "Will you show us?" Six looked understandably hesitant. He looked down at the bulb and then upwards at Two while giving a worried frown in return. "Please, Six? We won't judge you. We just would like to see it for ourselves," Two assured with a small smile.

With this encouragement, Six reached out a short way and left his hand waiting in the air. His nervousness delayed his immediate reaction. Maybe Nine noticed, as he reached out and laid his hand on the striped male's back. The comfort was just enough to give him the last push. Slowly, the bulb raised out of Two's hand, and the inventor watched on in awe. Six brought the bulb to his own hands and intended to hold it, but then stopped midway through the motion.

"Nine, here," Six offered the bulb back to Nine. "I'll scratch it." That and his head was starting to lightly pang. As he released his hold on the bulb, he looked back to Two expectantly, silently.

"Six… Six, that is phenomenal!" Two blurted out as he moved in to take the bulb back. "And you could just lift it with little resistance- just by thinking about it!" The older Stitchpunk looked back to Six and reached out for his arm. "What does it feel like? Does it feel like an extension of your body of an entire other limb? Like a concentrated-?"

"How is this even possible?!" One's shout interrupted the questioning. The leader was utterly floored, staring like he had seen the unthinkable, and still seemed to disbelieve what he was witnessing. "This- No, this cannot be possible! People don't just move things with their mind, that's not something that happens!"

"Apparently it is," Seven breathily answered. Her face betrayed her own surprise; what with widened optics and her expression frozen with stun. "We just saw it with our own eyes."

Six wasn't entirely pleased with the reaction. Sure, Two seemed intrigued and delighted, but everyone else was still undecided. He looked back to Nine, who spoke up again. "It's a lot to take in at once, but the support is needed. It's… A hard thing to admit when you don't know how everyone else will handle it. Especially if you have to worry if your own family would turn again you."

"What?" Finally, Five found his voice. "Oh no, Six…" He came forward to put his hand on the artist's shoulder. "Six, we- we wouldn't do that! This is… Wow… Yeah, but we wouldn't ever do something like that. We know you, why would we even think of turning on you because of something like this?" Six looked at Five with wide optics, as though he didn't expect his acceptance. It was enough to drive Five into pulling him into a tight hug. It only assured the smaller further that everything was fine.

"Five's right," Seven said as she snapped out of her surprise. "You should've told us, Six. You know we wouldn't ever disown you, and we would never judge you."

"What I want to know is why you kept this quiet. You've got a secret weapon on you that could've helped us," Eight asked directly. He had witnessed the potential of this power and he couldn't understand how someone wouldn't take advantage to it. "How do you hide something like this anyway?"

"I… I started practicing again," Six quietly explained as he pulled back from Five. "It wasn't very strong, I couldn't do much with it without hurting… But Nine helped me feel safe enough to start practicing again." He smiled at Nine with thankfulness. "I control it a little better now." Everyone else seemed to understand and were adjusting more to the phenomenon. Except for the very flustered One.

"All this time and not a word…" Something on One's voice sounded somewhat unnerved. He shook it off as his attention turned to the door and the situation at hand. "We can continue this discussion upstairs; and believe me, we certainly will. I for one have plenty more questions that will be answered." Six gave an awkward smile towards the leader while Nine and Seven shared a less than impressed look at each other. "All of this in one day. Attacked by two beasts, breaking the laws of reality-."

One offhandedly beckoned the group and started to approach the bucket lift, but then he noticed movement inside. He frowned and peered closer, recognizing a familiar spot of blue. "-and what are you two doing down here?! I seem to recall that you two were told to stay in the Sanctuary!" He sent them a scolding gaze as the two peered out of the bucket lift. None other than the twins sheepishly peeked out of the lift before disappearing inside once again. Nobody else was really surprised to see that they had slipped downstairs.

One gave a disapproving shake of his head and let himself into the lift, the others following along behind. Six looked after him worriedly and asked, "Do you think One's upset?"

"If One's angry at anyone, it's me," Five meekly admitted. "I, uh… I basically led the Hammer Beast back here."

"Watch, One will claim it was an assassination attempt," Seven remarked with a smug amusement. Five let out a slight groan at this, largely because he could believe it, and started to lead Six and Two towards the lift. Nine followed alongside and Eight was already heading after One. Seven intended to follow as well, but then noticed that Cat and Fabrication were making no attempt to follow. She changed her course and approached the two without hesitation.

"Cat, you're coming with us, right? We need to get the rest of that glue off you," Seven pointed out. He needed his rest, he needed to come back to safety, and she wasn't prepared to leave him down here. The group of Two, Five, Six, and Nine stopped at her question and looked back towards the two.

"He's staying down here to work, so I'm staying to keep guard," Cat answered. Before Seven could disagree with this, and she was prepared to do so, Fabrication murmured something in their other language. Cat spoke back, sounding insistent, and the other snapped at him with something, seemingly frustrated with Cat's clinginess. After this, Cat looked back to Seven, sounding a bit more stubborn and slightly irritated. "Well, I'm not leaving him down here alone. Not with a rogue beast wanting him dead."

Fabrication gave another bitter comment and Cat waved his claw off dismissively, which only got a flicker of static over the former's optics.

"Cat has a point. It isn't safe to be down here alone," Two began thoughtfully. It was obvious that he was going to lead into something and Five caught it just in time. He broke in before Two could continue.

"I could stay down here with him!… Just until he finishes," Five suggested. Two smiled at his apprentice's suggestion and Cat didn't argue.

"Fine by me," Cat answered. At this moment, Fabrication pulled him closer to whisper a command into his audio receptor. It is again in their language, but it is of dire importance, and he keeps his optics on Two.

" _Keep close to him,"_ Fabrication insists while knowing that Cat will know who he means. _"Make certain that he is well and protected, Cat."_ The taller gave a nod of agreement and Fabrication turned and started back towards the workshop. Five started to follow and kept his gaze down on the Cathedral's doors as he did so.

"Looks like I'm off the hook," Cat remarked with a slight playfulness directed towards Seven. Though instead of approaching her, he wandered to Two and put an arm around the older Stitchpunk's shoulders. Two didn't seem to notice the conversation earlier and simply put his arm around Cat's back in return, returning what he saw as strictly a friendly motion alone. "Let's get off the ground floor. Sooner the better."

Not one Stitchpunk would disagree with this. For the moment, they would simply leave the Hammer Beast as it was, but every one of them knew it would return.

It didn't take any power of Six's to know that the Hammer Beast would return.

* * *

 **Mable: Now that I'm back on the 'back and forth' pattern of uploads, hopefully things will go more smoothly. Also, I was considering doing a Halloween 9 fic this year along the lines of '9 Tales for Halloween'. Maybe you could tell me what you think of having another one of those. ^-^ Again, sorry about the wait! I hope you enjoyed!**


	31. Chapter 31: The Calm After the Storm

**Mable: Oh wow, I haven't updated in much too long! D8 With the book and my other story, its just been a rocky updating schedule. There's no way to defend it, but I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for it. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Thirty-One: The Calm After the Storm_

The former machine was already working again when Five entered the workshop. Seeing that he was distracted, the healer headed over to the stool and sat down. He watched his companion's back as he continued to work on the generator and considered volunteering to help. As he was considering it, still unsure whether he should offer, he was caught off guard by the other speaking.

"I want to change my name," the Machine suddenly announced. Five looked over at him, watching him still lost deep in his work, and was a little confused.

"Right now? Is it because of earlier?" Five offered. It had been a rather aggressive battle and even now the Hammer Beast still loomed out there somewhere, but it seemed odd that he just decided to change it. Then again, he never decided on much of a name and instead adopted a nickname. "Okay, there's no problem with that. What do you want to change it to?"

"Fabricant," the faux Stitchpunk replied. It then pushed the parts aside and spread out clean piece of paper. It then dipped a quill into the bowl of ink on the corner of the bench and began to scribble.

"Any reason why?" Five asked. He didn't say it out loud, but he couldn't understand the dramatic tone from such a seemingly slight change of wording. It sounded like such a meager change.

"A fabrication is a creation, a fabricant is a creator," the Machine assured. "I would prefer to be a creator than a creation."

"That makes sense…" Five was half-convinced that the machine had no idea what it wanted its name to be and would probably continue cycling through them. However, Five was picking up a pattern in his behavior. "…About the Hammer Beast attacking you, are you okay? It threw you pretty hard." Fabricant paused in his writing to consider the comment.

"…I'm fine," Fabricant denied and then continued to jot something down.

"I could check anyway," Five suggested as he stood and stepped in, standing beside the male. "It would only take a second."

"It just threw me. Physically, I am fine," he briskly brushed off. Five leaned on the edge of the workbench, frowning a little bit, and let the question drop. To his surprise, the false Stitchpunk did continue to speak. "It's my pride that has been wounded," he admitted. Five looked surprised and watched as Fabricant's empty expression flinched with something else; perhaps it was shame. "My own creation refused to obey. Have I really become so inconsequential in this body that ones I have created would deny me?"

"It wasn't acting like the beasts normally do," Five pointed out. "It looked much more determined to catch us than anything else. Even the Turret Beast acted more aggressive!" Seeing them side by side, the Hammer Beast's behavior truly was strange. "And the blue optics… I thought there were all created with red ones."

"They are," Fabricant clarified. "Perhaps it was a replacement."

"Could a beast replace its own parts?" Five inquired. He knew Cat had done pretty much that, but the mystery of the Hammer Beast was raising many questions. "Especially its eye. Those aren't exactly easy to replace," Five pointed out, tapping the edge of his patch matter-of-factly.

"It could if it was advanced enough. These creations don't feel pain like something with full sentience. Most of them are unable to grasp the concept of repairing themselves _unless_ they have lived long enough to start gaining some degree of self-reflection…" Fabricant paused and tapped his fingers on the workbench. "What you call it- the Hammer- has been alive long enough that I cannot remember creating it. Long enough that it is starting to see itself as its own identity… Perhaps longer than Cat, as Cat is still capable of slight loyalty, when he's not betraying me."

Five gave a semi-nervous chuckle at that last mutter. Then he cleared his voice box and continued, "Could you… Could you tell what it wanted?"

"It wanted your Scientist," Fabricant assured. "Or just any doll and he was the closest."

"Two's not really a Scientist. He's more of a-…" Five cut off at this and considered what he had said. The machine considered Two like the Scientist, so maybe this was why he had been so willing to fight for him. Suddenly his attachment in that moment made more sense, and it opened something that Five would've never thought of. His mind went back to that dreadful moment.

"Thank you for saving him. I… I don't know what I'd do if I lost Two…" Five admitted quietly, almost worriedly. "If there's anything I could do to repay you, just say the word."

"Why didn't you replace your optic?" Fabricant bluntly asked and for a second Five thought that he went completely ignored. The former machine glanced over at the Stitchpunk beside him, noticing his alarm. "If you would indulge my curiosity. Logically, there's no reason you shouldn't replace it. Emotionally, there's still not a good reason for you to protest, unless it is fear of surgery. Considering that you are a healer, I have trouble believing this," Fabricant quickly laid out for the male.

"I… Well…" The whole line of question threw Five fully off guard. "See… See, when I was damaged…" He batted around one of the small bolts around in his hands. "We didn't have anything like this. We just arrived in the Cathedral, we barely had any tools, and I-… It's not like we could've saved the eye even if we did find it, and building a new one was out of the question." He sighed as he set the bolt back in front of Child, "Besides, I'm happy how I am. Even with only one eye. I don't mind it; I'd prefer it, you know."

"Of course. One eye isn't a detriment," Fabricant agreed. Five didn't know how he could justify it until he realized that the machine too had only had one eye.

"In fact, I aim better without it," Five assured with a smile. "I was just telling Nine the other day- it's a long story- but it allows me to concentrate on one thing at a time," he added with a joking manner and a chuckle.

Fabricant looked to him, studied his features, and gave him a confused look. "But to… Prefer not to be fixed. I don't fully understand."

"I don't think I can be fixed. I've already rehabilitated; the chance of me being able to coordinate with a new eye aren't exactly good… I'm happy how I am. This is just a part of me now," Five assured. It was weird to defend it, but it was honest. Five meant what he said. Sometimes he felt a little self-conscious, but overall, he felt comfortable with who he was, especially recently. Between the more unified feeling around the Sanctuary and having Nine effectively being his new best friend, Five generally felt happier about the situation, even after the Scientist's loss.

Speaking of which, Five found his attention wandering to the Scientist, but was hesitant to ask in case it would anger his companion.

"…I understand _in theory_ ," Fabricant clarified. Then he looked back to the workbench. "But if you are content, then surgery isn't necessary."

"You know, Cat needed surgery when he first appeared. He wasn't complete, so Two had to work on him," Five pointed out. "There was oil everywhere. You wouldn't believe how much."

"I'm not surprised," Fabricant murmured, seemingly unbothered. Maybe because Cat was clearly fine now. "It's a massive undertaking, and it is obvious that Cat has lasting effects from trying to move his consciousness." Five assumed that he meant his dyslexia. From what Five knew, Cat was still learning to read past it. "Unfortunately, Cat left his body in a state where he cannot move back if he decides."

"I don't think he was thinking about going back," Five admitted quietly. "Why go through the effort just to go back...?" He hesitated when he noticed the other's silence. "…Could you go back?"

"I could," Fabricant admitted, "in theory." It both terrified and intrigued Five to receive such an answer. "Technically, this body should be made well enough that I can effectively fit back into place and reenter my body, but I was unable to try it. I fear the process would render this body unusable, so there was no opportunity to make such an attempt." This led to another moment of lingering silence between them.

"Could I… Ask you something that might make you angry?" Five quietly asked. "Without you getting angry. I- I know this isn't the time for it, but I could use some answers."

"I rather you just ask," Fabricant pointed out.

Five cleared his voice module, "Right. So, uh… What was our father like? I met him, I knew him shortly, but we didn't spend much time together." He then gave a strained, playful smile. "He, uh, had other things to worry about. By time he sent me out, I barely knew him." It was now that Fabricant stared off in a sort of daze. His optics looked largely unfocused. Five started to second guess his decision to ask, "Never mind."

"No," Fabricant refused. "He was…" The silence lingered on as he stared at the desk. "I'm… Something is different…?"

Five reached out and laid his hand on his shoulder, "Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it! Let's just get back to work." He then grabbed for his tools and set them on the workbench. "Show me where we are and put me to work?"

"…You want to work?" the other seemed mildly surprised, but he still sounded a little distant.

"O-Of course! That's the plan, right? I don't… I don't want to barge in on what you're doing, but I sort of thought we'd do this together… I know what I'm doing…" He trailed off as the paper was slid closer to him.

"You can read blueprints fine enough?" Maybe this was a trick question, being that most of the writing was in a language that he didn't speak, but he could make enough sense of the designs and numbers.

"Sure can. I've written enough of them myself, actually." He knelt and pulled out some of the ones he and Two made, briefly showing them off before intending to put them back under. Before he could, Fabricant reached down and caught the paper with one of his extra, machine-like arms. The healer was just surprised enough to release them without a word and Fabricant lifted them closer, studying them intently.

With the former machine somewhat distracted, Five tugged the unfinished generator across the workbench to rest in front of him. He then began to look over the shared project.

It never occurred to him that, even though the beast was still out there somewhere, he felt safe.

* * *

"Where do we even begin?... Ah, yes, from the beginning," One prattled as he approached his throne and dropped down into it. Two followed along and settled himself down into Eight's usual spot.

Though the guard didn't mind as he was currently being drug to the side by the twins. Three curiously 'whispered' through flickers, asking needy questions, while Four yanked around his arms and checked his body for wounds. Eight was just amused enough to smirk and grab ahold of Four's hand, then easily lifting her up. She kicked her legs in surprise before suddenly being pulled in, him looping his arm around her as he did so. Four flickered brightly in surprise and then rapidly with 'giggles', her body trembling as she did. Eight could care less about his post.

"When, pray tell, did these powers come to you?" One inquired as he looked to Six who was shuffling out of the lift beside Nine.

"Umm… Always? Maybe? I don't know," Six admitted. "It's been a long time… But they were weaker before."

Seven and Cat stepped out of the lift next and the warrior watched the throne room with caution. She expected One to overstep his boundaries almost immediately and, because of such, was rather tense. Cat noticed this and laid a hand on her shoulder to steer her away.

"I came thinking I was getting a bath. I might feel cheated if we get stuck listening in on Six's trial," Cat playfully said. "Come on, Dove. Nobody can save him now."

Seven gave a disagreeing hum, but nodded in agreement and followed along with Cat. She had no doubt that Nine could watch Six well enough. He already seemed protective enough.

"Very curious…" Two murmured. "What would that be… Telekinesis? Again, I have head of a phenomenon, but it isn't one that has been properly recorded."

"Unless we count shady individuals looming in tents and tricking poor fairgoers out of their wealth," One pointed out. "If we are honest, we can simply agree that Six is the first creature to really have such powers."

"But the description originated from somewhere," Two pointed out. "It is possible that the rare human also learns it. Six could simply have received this gift through random chance." He paused and then defended, "Which doesn't mean it is any less of a miracle! On the contrary, this should call for a celebration! Your powers singlehandedly rescued Eight from a worse fate." At the mention of his name, Eight looked over, quickly grasped the situation, and gave a nod of agreement. "Eight agrees."

"Yes, with one part of that," One answered. "As for the why and how, it seems that we are without answers… Ah. Three, Four!" The twins looked over at the leader in surprise at being called. "We will return to the Library in a few days, as early as we can to avoid the Hammer Beast. When that time comes-… Eight, put her down. This is important." One frowned sourly at his guard who gently set down the twin in question. "When we arrive at the Library, you two need to find what you can on this telekinesis."

The twins nodded before they tilted their heads in confusion. They looked at each other, realizing that they had gotten a similar request before, and then looked to Nine. He rubbed his neck and sent them a tiny smile. He then drug his eyes back to Six and smiled at him. The striped male smiled back, still a bit shaky but much more confident. To his surprise, Six now spoke to One on his own account. Though it was a somewhat predictable request.

"Can I go draw?" Six asked almost meekly. One and Two now noticed him again, having gotten distracted with each other for the moment.

"Hmm? Oh, yes! Go on ahead!" Two assured without asking for One's opinion or even sending him a glance. One did look out the corner of his optic towards the Inventor, but decided not to correct him. "We've all had an exhausting day. Get some rest for now and perhaps later you would be willing to show us more?"

The eager smile that stretched across Six's face was brilliant. While he should've just been happy that he wasn't labelled as a monstrosity, he couldn't help but get excited by the prospect of so much attention. He excitedly tapped his fingers together as he responded, "I-I would love to!"

Six then looked to Nine, still beaming, and grabbed him boldly by the wrist. He nearly dragged the zippered Stitchpunk into his gallery. Nine stumbled behind him and called out, "If Five doesn't come up soon, could someone check on him?" He heard half of a curt agreement from One before disappearing behind the curtain.

Now somewhat secluded into the corner of the throne room, Six abruptly spun towards Nine. Nine didn't even have a moment to ask before his wrist was released and the striped male's hands were on his shoulders. His mismatched optics were wide and his face was alit in delight.

"That went great!" Six exclaimed with joy. He then shoved in closer and wrapped his arms fully around Nine's neck, unintentionally yanking the taller down to his height. Nine blinked a few seconds, but then chuckled and hugged the artist back. He was equally relieved in how well everyone took the shocking news.

"Feeling better about everything?" Nine asked as he rubbed over his back and squeezed him tighter. "Now that you know nobody's going to judge you?"

"Much better!" Six chirped happily and nuzzled into his chest. "I don't have to be scared that somebody will see or that it'll accidently happen. We could practice anywhere!" He drew back to smile at Nine, moving his hands back to his shoulders. "And I owe it all to you. You were the reason I started to practice again."

"Oh, Six, no," Nine protested with a hint of green light on his cheeks. "Listen, you've saved me too many times to think I'm the one saving you."

"I don't think it, I know it. You're a natural savior!" Six gushed with a giggle of thrill. Nine knew the color in his cheeks was growing brighter even before he could visibly see it. Six noticed it too, but merely raised a playful brow at it.

"Uh…" Nine almost awkwardly sputtered. Suddenly he was feeling shyer than usual and he couldn't exactly tell why. Maybe because Six was just so happy and he wasn't used to seeing him in such a state. "So, umm, you're going to draw now?"

"Unless you have a better idea," Six chirped back. "I… I need to rest, really, but I think I'd be okay if you'd do something with me instead." There was that more timid, hopeful smile once more.

Nine felt a growing flutter in his chest that involved into a low chuckle. Then it released as a quiet suggestion, "How about chess?"

* * *

Cat was just as resistant now to get into the warmed, collected water as he was every other time Seven tried to encourage him to bathe. Perhaps it was a fear of getting wet, as she noticed that beasts largely tended to stay out of the rain, but it wasn't as though Cat was a beast anymore. She doubted that Two wouldn't have fixed him without making sure that he had the same waterproofing as they had. His metals seemed nearly identical to theirs, so the water had to be connected to the fear of frying exposed wires, which also could no longer happen.

It was obvious from his disinterested leering at the bowl of water that he was not intending to willingly get in, even when he still was spotted with glue and saturated in smoke and dust. Usually his 'bath' would end with him just wiping himself over with a damp piece of cloth. This time, however, Seven was one step ahead of him.

Without a word, she removed her helmet, her shield, and set her spear off to the side. Cat now perked with interest and she knew he was following her movements. She smirked at the thought and stepped into the bowl, then slid into it smoothly. It there was anything good about staying at the Cathedral, it was the ability to collect and heat rain water that Two concocted. Drawing a bath took more time than a dip in the fountain, but it was much more soothing, and her body nearly went limp into the warmth.

"…What about me?" Cat quietly murmured. She suppressed a smirk and sent him a glance out of the corner of her optics.

"Well, I don't feel up to fighting to get you in here. Just kneel over here and I'll wash your arms," Seven offered, leaning on the edge of the bowl and beckoning him closer.

"…Huh… Think I can do that much…" Cat was enticed closer and removed his helmet. He lowered onto one knee and offered his claws to her. She started by coaxing the first into the water and gently massaging it. Halfway through, she paused to retrieve the soap pieces that she had scraped off the bar before she had gotten in. She quickly worked it into her own fabric and tried to get the dirt and soot out of the white fabric. Cat didn't mind in the slightest; he watched with curious interest as she allowed him to see her.

Then she moved onto him. Seven started with his first arm, tracing his claws and listening to him purr in response. Then he submerged the soapy arm into the water and reached to his other one, guiding it in. Cat was almost entirely subdued by what was merely simply gestures to clean him.

Then, with a smirk, Seven placed her arm over his head and across his back. Before he could properly react, she yanked him in, tilting him over the edge and rolling herself to nearly drag him into the bowl. While Cat had great balance, Seven managed to throw him off balance and slung him down into the water. Cat sputtered and thrashed as though the water burned his fabric.

"Stop! Stop!" Cat sputtered out as Seven pinned him down against the bowl. His head was comfortably out of the water, made she made sure that he couldn't spring back out.

"There was no point in even trying the easy way," Seven grunted as she climbed back out of the bowl. She took Cat's spot in kneeling and smirked in triumph.

"I knew you were going to drown me," Cat muttered as he coughed out whatever water that he believed filled his non-existent lungs. "Call it a lucky guess." It was clear that he would've climbed out if he didn't think that Seven would immediately shove him back in and instead stayed there, on his hands and knees, looking as despondent as he could. "You could've stayed in."

"I would've had a harder time with this," Seven pointed out as she removed the rest of his armor and began to scrub his fabric. Halfway through the motions, a frown spread across her face. "I do wish you took better care of yourself."

"I do fine," Cat denied.

"Maybe training-wise, but there are other things as well. This body is differently than your body as a beast; if you aren't good to it, it will fail on you," Seven assured a bit more firmly.

"It's just dirt. I'll live," Cat shrugged off.

"I don't mean the dirt," Seven answered. Her fingers traced over an opening on the patch on his arm. "I mean things like this. How long has this been open?" The male again gave barely any answer. After all, he couldn't remember when it happened either. Most likely it was during the beast battle earlier. "I can't take care of you all the time, Cat."

"But you do it so well," Cat mock complained, and she responded by lightly flicking him on the shoulder. She was being serious, even if the playful gesture seemed to contradict it.

Cat's fabric was much dirtier than she had expected. Thankfully, the soap was just strong enough to work it out without much struggle, which she feared would open his tear further. He stayed still, slowly relaxing into her touches, but almost stubbornly refused to do anything more than that. Eventually, she deemed him clean enough and retracted her grasp.

"I think most of it is gone. Whatever's left you can get yourself." Almost immediately, Cat limply rolled out of the bowl. "Or you can just leave it there. You still smell moderately better." She cracked a smile and he made a noise like a mutter, but didn't make real words. Seven retrieved her helmet and rested it on her head. "I'm going to make sure that everything quieted down in the throne room. Any plans?"

"I'm going to go fry my fabric in the sun for a couple of hours," Cat offered as he stretched himself out. "I think you broke something, Dove."

"The film of dirt you had caked onto your back. You'll have to learn how to sit upright without it," Seven lightly teased as she reached out for his chin and moved him closer. "Stop pouting like that." Willing to confront two beasts in one day, but unwilling to take a bath without being stubborn. She couldn't help but be amused by it as she leaned in. Perhaps he deserved a reward after how he fought earlier. "We make a good team, when you're willing to share," she remarked and then pressed her lips to his cheek.

His reaction was immediate as he nuzzled back against her. He scooped an arm around her and pulled her into a warm embrace. Thankfully, she hadn't dried off yet or she would've certainly had to dry again.

"Come with me, Dove. We fought too long. You need to relax," Cat coaxed as he dragged his claws gently down her arms. "One can wait."

"As much as I would love to believe that, I need to make sure the twins aren't too shaken. They're not used to dealing with beasts. Two as well; he looks fine, but I want to make certain that his excitement isn't covering any injuries," Seven explained with assurance. At this, Cat stopped coaxing, because he too suddenly had a growing concern about the Inventor. His mouth tightened in worry, which Seven noticed. "I'll check on him. You go dry out your fabric before you drip everywhere."

Finally, he drew back and headed to the doorway. She looked over his back, watching as he paused at the entrance, drew the curtain back with one hand, and laid the other on the doorframe. Seven found her eyes scaling over his back and arms, along his claws and to his back again. He always had such a strong appearance to him. He could hold his own, she knew this, but this was the first time that she realized how much he looked like he could hold his own too. Suddenly she was no better than him, gawking at him as he did at her.

To her surprise, she felt a growing warmth that she didn't expect. There was clearly something romantic occurring between them, especially since they kissed, but this was the first time Seven noticed that she truly was attracted to the beast turned Stitchpunk. It was a slight bit disturbing, but she wasn't ready to fully shun such feelings. He looked back towards her and sent her one of his usual, much too smug looking smiles.

"I'll be on the roof," Cat simply remarked. As innocent as it seemed, she knew that tone. It was an invitation for her to join him and she wouldn't deny that she was tempted. Though she wasn't sure if baking her fabric in the sun on the hottest part of the Cathedral was worth it.

"Try not to fall," Seven answered, turning away and continuing to dry herself. "Or burn yourself too badly. I'm not going to be able to scrub that out of your fabric."

Cat let out a small purr in response and Seven was startle by how her pulse quickened at the noise. How could fighting with him, which she had done before, render her into such a state? She didn't know, but she was determined to stay in control. She waited until she heard him walk off before she finally decided to search for the twins.

It was just the heat, she assured herself, and the lingering thrill from battle. Seven still had some self-control.

* * *

The Hammer Beast did not return that evening. This was a relief to most of the Stitchpunks. Especially Five, who had the job of checking through the spyglass and reporting what he saw. This allowed the group to somewhat relax into a brief sense of security.

The evening had been quiet enough. Some of the Stitchpunks were still awake, specifically Nine and Six, but the Sanctuary was largely silent. Five had just headed to bed and Nine started fixing up his bedding on Six's floor. They had shared a bed before, but he was feeling a little strange tonight and sleeping on the floor seemed like the better option. He was halfway through his work and just about ready to stop Six, who was out in the throne room, from drawing so that they could head to bed.

That was, until a yell echoed across the Cathedral.

"Nine, _Nine!_ " Six cried in response. Obviously not the source of the cry but clearly frightened, the artist yelped for the Stitchpunk closest to him. The zippered male burst out of the gallery in alarm. "It was Two!" Six blurted out as he pointed towards his room. Nine looked over in the direction and started to speed off.

By time he made it into the hallway, he caught sight of Cat sliding in front of the door and skidding through the door. Nine was hot on his heels and stumbled through the doorway. "Two?!"

The Inventor was on the floor with his blanket tangled around him. Two looked over just in time to see Cat's glowing eye light scan over the wall before falling on him. The older Stitchpunk was nearly blinded by it and shielded his face. "I'm fine! I'm quite alright!" the older Stitchpunk sputtered out. "I just fell out of bed!"

Cat lowered his head to send the light onto the floor while Nine stepped around him. "That's all? Are you hurt?" He crossed over and gripped Two under the arms, lifting him off the floor. The short male was clearly shaken by the tumble and perhaps something else. As the zippered male settled the shorter back onto his bed, noticing his vacant expression, he recognized the familiarity between him and Six. Or specifically, how Six acted after he had his nightmares. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, no. I'm fine," Two denied firmly as he rubbed his hands over his arms. "I'm just shaken is all. It's quite a drop to the floor." Nine didn't believe him, but he didn't want to push when Two didn't want to talk about it. Instead, he patted the older Stitchpunk's back as he heard more footsteps. Five appeared in the doorway and looked in with concern, not as panicked as he heard the talking following the cry.

"Two? Is everything okay?" Five quietly murmured as he looked over the room. Cat looked towards him. "I heard you- Ugh!" He flinched back as the bright light suddenly blinded his optic. He shielded it carefully and turned his head away. "You're okay?"

"I'm fine! Don't worry about me, you three!" Two had a lighter tone, even if it was faked. "Just a little stiff, which I would expect after my rendezvous with the floor. You can all go back to bed."

Five didn't seem to notice anything amiss like Nine had. Possibly because he was half asleep. "Are you sure? That could've been a rough fall. I could check you."

"I'm not that frail just yet!" Two assured with a more natural chuckle. "If I can survive that manhandling today then I can survive a little fall out of bed. We all had a long day." To accentuate this, he nudged Nine along as well, and the younger male decided to let it go for now. He could always ask Two in the morning, when he was more willing to talk.

"Alright, well… We're here if you need us," Nine assured. He gave Two a one-armed hug and then headed to the doorway and slipped out into the hallway again, scooping an arm around Five to walk with him back to the room. He would voice his suspicion to Five and they would work together to help in the morning.

This left Cat alone with Two. His light finally shut off with a loud click and he wandered across the room. Two watched curiously as Cat sat down against the wall beside his bed, stretching out his legs and crossing them, and trying to make do with the stiff position. Two hummed and looked him over, "That doesn't look very comfortable." Cat gave a non-committal grunt as he shifted against the cold wall. "You don't need to stay…"

"I can handle it," Cat finally spoke as he turned to lean his back against the corner where the wall and bed met. He tried to prop one of his arms behind him and when it failed, settled into crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe you'll sleep better with a lookout."

"Oh, Cat. I…" Two started to say something, but his words fell flat. He sat there on his bed in the dark struggling for an excuse that he couldn't find. He wanted to say that he was fully comfortable in his fabric, but he certainly wasn't. He gave a sigh and slipped under the blankets. "Thank you," he murmured before laying on his back, folding his hands on his chest, and staring at the dark ceiling. Silence returned for a few seconds.

"You want to talk about it?" Cat's gravelly voice broke in.

"Not particularly," Two admitted.

"Aww, come on," Cat tiredly coaxed as he turned his head to somewhat look in Two's direction. He leaned upwards to look at him. "We're awake anyway. I'm not going anywhere."

"…I'd think it would be obvious. I had a dream about the beast attack earlier… Though it expressed itself with me sinking in quicksand while in the desert, but alas, I know it was directly connected to our hammer headed friend." Two rubbed over his face tiredly and turned over to face the former beast. "You weren't there, but… Be honest, do you think I am weak?"

"Nah," Cat quickly answered. He didn't even need to think of it. "That thing wasn't right. Did you see that coloring? Can't be loyal to the Machine." He paused a moment and then added, "And it's not cause he's in this body. It should've still been in control. Something's wrong with the eye color."

Two hummed thoughtfully and rubbed over his chin. "I wonder… Perhaps the Machine once had blue optics? Or maybe I'm remembering that wrongly. Maybe that was what was just in Father's notes…" He then decided to stop the train of thought. He didn't need to get curious in the middle of the night or he would never go back to sleep. "Ah well, that's for another day." He tugged the blanket to his neck with a yawn. "Good night, Cat."

Cat gave a soft of agreeing noise and shifted against the bed, still capable of sleeping in the uncomfortable position.

"And… If by any chance I do fall off again in the middle of the night, I would like to apologize in advance," Two added in with a surprisingly embarrassed tone. "Goodness, I'm too old to have nightmares."

"Nah..." Cat agreed, even though the concept of dreams and nightmares were largely foreign to him. "Not too old. One's the old one." This got a comfortable chuckle out of the inventor. Then the room grew silent. Finally, Two would rest easy, and Cat would loyally stay by his side. He hadn't been able to protect the inventor earlier, but he could watch over him in his sleep. He would sleep beside his bed confidently.

Or until Two fell on him and roused him from a dead sleep an hour later.

* * *

 **Mable: Cat just signed up for one heck of a night. XD Still, it must be a comfort to have some form of a guard by your bedside, especially after what happened earlier during the battle. Now, it's insanely late, so I'm going to just post this now and not delay another moment! I hope you enjoyed!**


	32. Chapter 32: Unintentional Competition

**Mable: Here we are, finally! This chapter needed a little longer than expected in the oven, but I** _ **finally**_ **got it. It's been taking these updates so long, but I'm not struggling with the story, so I can only assume that it's a result of competing factors… More specifically, my novel's February 4** **th** **rough draft deadline. Yeah, not sure if I'll make that one. I mean, I'm self-publishing regardless, but still… *Sheepish* Oh, but, anyway, let's get going! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Thirty-Two: Unintentional Competition_

"Omph!"

Before Two could even realize exactly what happened, he was sprawled out on an uncomfortable lump. He fidgeted awkwardly before pushing himself upwards and staring directly at Cat's chest. He blinked briefly and then looked upwards at Cat's both exhausted and flustered look. It was obvious what had occurred.

"Oh…" Two murmured quietly and with obvious embarrassment. "Hello again, Cat." He tried to suppress his embarrassment. "I suppose that I decided to dive out of bed again?" Cat nodded without a word.

By now, Two was more frustrated with the situation than he wanted to show. He just couldn't understand why he was becoming plagued with such vivid dreams; nor why they resulted in him thrashing enough to fall out of bed. He awkwardly rose to his feet and stretched out his back and leg.

"I think I may go for a small walk before I try again. It can't be too far from morning… Move into my bed," Two directed. Cat seemed reluctant and made no attempt to move. "No, really, it's alright. I could be a while and there's no reason that you need to stay on the floor." With that little bit of encouragement, Cat rose off the ground. Then, for the first time since Two fell on him, he spoke out.

"Want me to come with you?" Cat offered.

"No, no. You lay down and get your rest," Two assured him and headed to the door. He could hear the bed creak as Cat's weight settled onto it. "Sleep tight, Cat," Two murmured under his breath as he stepped out into the hallway and soon into the throne room.

Two wasn't sure what time it was. Moonlight was still falling through the stained-glass window and it didn't seem like any sign of dawn was beginning to show. He doubted that he could afford to stay awake all night at this rate and needed some sort of comfort to rectify this largely annoying situation. After a few moments of consideration, he headed to a familiar bedroom.

"One… One, are you awake?" Two quietly called into the bedroom. One certainly was not awake when Two first entered the room. Yet after even the smallest of murmurs, his narrowed optics started to twitch. "One?" The leader's optics slowly started to open as Two approached his side of the bed. "I'm sorry to wake you, but I could use your input."

"Two, for heaven's sake," One grumbled out as he rolled over. He tugged the blanket over his shoulder and pressed deeper into his pillow. "Can't this wait?"

"If I thought it could then I would, but I could go without waking up atop Cat again," Two assured. A few moments passed and then One abruptly turned back. Two had a feeling that this wording would rouse him.

" _What?_ " One blurted out in disbelief as his narrowed optics squinted more than usual with exhausted. He almost looked half asleep still and looked over the inventor quickly.

"I've been having trouble sleeping. I've thrown myself out of bed at least four times tonight…" Two suddenly realized that he wasn't sure what he was asking One for. He came in, woke the leader, and was out of excuses for what he was doing. "I just- I was getting nowhere. I'm sorry to trouble you."

One's gaze softened, but it could've been out of tiredness. He then slid over on the bed and dragged the covers down, silently offering for Two to lay alongside him. Two didn't need to be offered twice and eagerly slipped in beside him. The warmth from where One had been laying was intoxicating and Two started to already get eased into a sense of security. He gave a weary yawn and slid closer to One's back.

"…So, what was it?" One's voice broke the silence so suddenly that Two was almost startled by it, being that he had started to get lulled into a sense of relaxation.

"Nothing too obvious. Quicksand and beasts," Two assured as he pressed his cheek against One's number. His fabric was warm and inviting. "And a very odd dream where I was Stitchpunk sized compared to everyone else." The leader released a noise that almost sounded like a chuckle. "I would prefer if you didn't analyze it. I think even the dullest of knives would be able to read a book that clear cut."

"Yes. Your metaphor however…" Right when Two was about ready to roll his optics and consider rolling over- though not leaving- One beat him to the punch and rolled over to face him, then hooked his arm around the smaller male. "I should tell you how dangerous what you did earlier was…" He pulled Two further into his grasp as his smug voice fell to a more somber, almost concerned one. "But… That can wait… You are having a hard-enough night as it is."

"Thank you," Two almost squeaked out. He was surprised how submissive he became when in the affectionate hold. It was weird, this strange courting ritual between them, but it was certainly helping relieve the panicked agony lingering in his chest. The frustration, the worry, the small part of him that remembered how small he was; all of it was drowned out by the simplest show of affection. Largely because One wasn't known for his affection. Even such a minor thing was a step far beyond what the largely abrasive leader was known for.

Two was starting to love it. That was his last thought before he drifted off, and he couldn't remember waking again from any dreams.

* * *

"Looks like the wolf ate grandma."

Cat's optics suddenly blinked open and stared at the bright light and the two Stitchpunks looming over him. One of them being Nine and the other being Five, who had made the comment. Cat chose this moment to stretch into the pillows, nearly tearing them with his claws, and burying his head back into the pillow. At this moment, he had every intention of falling back asleep.

"But in all seriousness, I wonder where Two went off too."

Cat's head snapped upwards at Five's continuation and a jagged pupil slid to the side, focusing in on the two Stitchpunks standing beside the bed.

"It doesn't look like he's moved anything around since last night, and it's not like him to start some other project without saying anything," Five pointed out. "He wasn't in the Watchtower either when I went up there… Then again, it was still the crack of dawn… Then again, again, Two's usually up with the sun. It's all so strange…"

Cat slid backwards, clamoring off the cot, and grabbed his helmet before nearly staggering out of Two's bedroom without a word. Nine and Five watched with vacantly surprised expressions until Nine playfully added in, "Thank goodness we've got someone used to hunting him." Five gave an awkward laugh, to which Nine quirked a brow. "Too soon?"

"Only if Cat _did_ eat him."

As for Cat, he hustled out into the Throne Room to look for the Inventor. His gaze quickly scanned the area and he eventually accessed that Two wasn't there. He would have to check everywhere, and he already had a suspicion where to go next.

One usually woke on his own terms, but usually woke early enough that he could still tout the importance of not oversleeping. Not that he couldn't- as leader he could do whatever he felt was best- but to prove that even as the oldest, he could stick to a regular schedule. Yet as he roused he knew that something had woken him and that it felt like he had overslept. Though he understood how he could. The enticing warmth coming from Two was nearly irresistible. He even considered staying with him longer.

Then he noticed the strange light falling over them. At first, he wondered if Eight had lit a candle. While he didn't want Eight to know what was happening between Two and he, Eight was the only one who he knew would stay loyal regardless. Perhaps he had just lit a candle and then left. Yet that couldn't be, because the light falling over him was too bright and sharp to be the warm glow of a candle. Wearily, One looked back behind him. His squinted optics immediately widened in alarm.

There was Cat standing beside his bed, shining the light on them both from his illuminated eye, and watching silently. One reacted accordingly.

"Gah!" One shirked back against the pillows, nudging Two just enough that he gave a languid roll and went straight off the other side of the bed, taking the blankets with him. "Get out!" One yelped, covering his exposed fabric as though the lack of his cape made him naked. Two let out a groggy mutter and started to sit upwards.

"Good Lord, One, could you not have just nudged me? I'm fine leaving, but I-." The Inventor's mini ramble was cut off when he noticed Cat standing on the other side of the bed. His optics widened as much as they could. "Cat! I- We were-!"

" _Get out!"_ One roared again as he threw a pillow at Cat. Cat moved his head just a bit to the side and dodged the pillow completely. Though he did turn and start out of the room. Mostly because he suspected that the two would somehow notice the growing smile of smugness stretching out underneath his helmet. Good to see that Two found a bed that would hold him. Or a Stitchpunk who would.

"As soon- As soon as you get off the floor and pull yourself together," One began as he hustled out of bed and put his crown on, "I want you and Five both to build me a door. Preferably, one that I can lock up tight!"

"I think that would be a good idea," Two sheepishly agreed as he pulled the blanket off the floor and tossed it onto the bed. He then circled the bed and looked to One's back, watching as he slipped his cape on and clasped it securely. The shorter male tapped his fingers together and inched closer, looking towards the floorboards. "Cat won't tell anyone, I'm sure… But I'm sorry. We wouldn't have had such a frantic morning if I had woken and left as I intended." He cleared his voice module, "But thank you… For letting me stay."

It was now that One hesitated and slightly turned his head. "…Let's not let this be the highlight of last night." Two was somewhat surprised at the suggestion that they remember anything, what with how secretive One preferred to me. He would prefer to forget the happiest memories than risk anyone catching wind of anything. Perhaps One was starting to change; Two could hardly believe it. With a growing smile, Two took a step forward and hugged One from behind, briefly causing the leader's motions to falter.

It took One a moment before he recovered and put his mask of grouchiness back on. "Now that's enough of that. As it is, I'm already late for the day."

"Yes, of course. As am I," Two replied as he pulled back, still beaming. He then turned and started out of the room, calling back with, "Try not to get flustered around Cat!"

One replied with a rather grumpy and equally flustered noise.

* * *

Nine didn't usually have a plan in the morning. Sometimes he did, when he intended to leave somewhere or do something specific, but most of the time Nine had a vague idea of what he could do at the Cathedral. Usually it involved helping Five or Two, and with Two missing it seemed more than likely that he would be with Five, especially if Five was stuck monitoring Fabricant again. Being around Fabricant made Nine moderately uncomfortable, but not for the reasons one would think. More because he had so many questions and yet resisted the urge to ask them.

That aside, Nine's day was unplanned if Two popped up safely in the next few minutes. Or it would've been if not for Seven's appearance. Shortly after Cat left, Seven appeared looking for him. Nine wasn't too surprised as Seven and Cat seemed to be getting close, but something stuck with him. Something almost nostalgic that reminded of him of the first days of knowing each other, even when it wasn't too long ago. That first moment that she had fought off the Cat Beast to save them was still fresh in Nine's mind.

However, things had changed, and Nine realized that he needed to address it.

"I'll be right back…" Nine forewarned Five as he drew away from the small bench and headed after the pale female who has vanished through the doorway.

"I'll probably still be here when you get back," Five answered. All his attention was fixated on part of the generator that he was trying to work on, even though he wasn't in the workshop with the proper tools. Thus, there was a slight amount of struggle. Though if anyone would pull through it would be Five, whose optic who was currently focused on his work. With a smile, Nine followed behind Seven into the throne room.

He felt a slight sheepishness and nervousness tugging at him, but it was much more lessened than it used to be. Instead of feeling it as a constant around Seven, he only felt it regarding the coming conversation. She was heading towards the lift's direction when Nine called for her.

"Seven, wait," Nine broke out. She looked back curiously, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Could we talk for a second? Maybe in private, where nobody can listen in?" The last thing he wanted was someone hearing what was about to happen.

Seven looked away and scanned the throne room, seemingly in thought. Then her gaze affixed on the calendar that One had been using to keep a tally of the numbers. "Over here," Seven beckoned as she wandered over to it. She pushed the calendar aside and revealed an opening in the wall. "Through here," she guided as she passed through.

The makeshift passage led down into the wall and eventually to the roof of the cathedral. Small windows were broken into the wall and let light through the stone. Nine could see the roof getting closer even before they stepped out onto the section of roof. Seven led him some ways out along the edge of the roofing shingles until she felt like they adequately found a spot, then stopped and sat down. Nine sat alongside her and looked out at the distant city.

"It's an amazing view, isn't it?" Seven offered to him. "The city always looks like its glowing this early in the morning. It's hard for some of the others to grasp that the world still has beauty like this. That we need to come out and see it, even of the danger… But," she interjected as she adjusted her helmet. "After what happened yesterday, I can't really blame everyone for being so hesitant. Two's supposed to be untouchable. He's more of our leader than One is."

"I know. I never imagined that Two was going to be the one it went after," Nine agreed. He looked down at the shingles with guilt on his face. "…I should've been watching him." Seven turned to look at him questioningly as Nine slightly turned his head towards her, while his optics remained on the roof to avoid a direct gaze. "After I let the Beast- Cat- after I let Two get taken, I should've been watching him more carefully. We could've had the same incident as then." He gave a shaky exhale, "I can't imagine what could've happened if the Machine was awoken before Cat was on our side…"

Seven reached out and laid a hand on his back while she used the other to hold onto her spear, which was lightly wedged in the shingles to give her a better hold on where she was sitting. "You can't blame yourself for that forever. You were newly awakened. I'm surprised you were able to find Two at all in that state," Seven said. "We can't dwell on the past or we become afraid of the future."

"I know," Nine agreed with a nod. Her touch was warm and filled with assurance, but something felt different than it would've before. "But I agree. We should maybe lay low for the Hammer Beast, but once we're sure it's safe then there's no reason to keep hiding. Not when our biggest threat, the Machine itself, is now at least a little under our control… It's not building anymore machines at least."

He sent her a smile, she sent one back, and he realized that he needed to go ahead with his original intention. "But what we came out here for… It's sort of about this. About me being new to all of this. New to living, really," Nine began as he finally looked to her. "I… Didn't really know how to feel when I first met you. I was amazed- you've always been pretty amazing."

"I don't know about that," Seven humbly disagreed. "I'm just a fighter, not a miracle worker."

"You've saved us so many times that you could be both," Nine insisted with a growing smile. "Anyone could be totally in debt to you after something like that. I know I was…" Nine reached to rub his arm as he admitted this. Then his smile started to fade, "I started to have some strong feelings for you… I couldn't stop thinking about you for a while." He gave a nervous chuckle and fidgeted, "I think I was pretty smitten with you- I think that's the word Two used."

"Nine…" Seven started, looking a little more surprised and a bit more hesitant. "Are trying to say that you're…?" She faded off as though unwilling to finish the question. She didn't seem disgusted, but she certainly seemed alarmed. Nine could only imagine how she would react after what he said next.

"I was, but then something really strange happened," Nine admitted with a slight tad of shame and a sheepish smile. "I think the feelings went to someone else…" When Seven's concern changed to surprise and she raised a dainty brow. "And it's nothing you did!" Nine blurted out and raised his hand in defense. "If anything… I think it's something I did. Like I did something wrong, so my body gave up and is trying again." He was almost floored when Seven suddenly cracked with an amused snicker and a shake of her head.

"Nine, no. That's not how it works," Seven assured him and reached out to take his hand. She gave it an assuring squeeze, now more comfortable that she knew his feelings were no longer aimed towards her. Not that Nine wasn't still a good friend and she wasn't flattered, but she had been down the path of one-sided romance before. She didn't want to break another good friend's heart. "From what it sounds like you had these feelings for me when we just met. Maybe as we've gotten closer, and you've gotten closer with the others, your feelings have just become clearer."

She then turned her gaze out to the distance of the city. "Sometimes you might not know what you want at first. You think you want something more than anything, but then you're wrong and suddenly you're struggling to find your ground." Nine looked to her with his own confusion. "I know it is a completely different situation, but when I first left the Sanctuary I thought it was everything I ever wanted. I thought I would be exploring the Emptiness, finding adventure, free of One's iron grip and embracing who I was."

Seven gave a tired sigh and lowered her head, "…But then I became more acquainted in this world we lived in and I found that while I do love it, I wasn't ready to fully throw myself into it. I did, of course, I survived fine… But now back here, back with everyone, I realize how much I missed them. I was ready for freedom away from the rules, but I didn't know how ready I was to submerge myself in it. I would do it again, but I might've planned better. I would've tried harder to take the others with me…"

She now looked back to Nine, "The point is, your first feelings and your immediate desires might not be the ones that stick around. You admired me for saving you, but after you got the chance you became closer to Six, and now you have real feeling for him. Feelings that aren't based off one event." She smiled reassuringly and patted his hand, "And that's wonderful, Nine. It's wonderful that you've found that, so you should embrace it. I don't think Six will turn you down."

Nine gawked at Seven with a look of full alarm. After a few moments he got enough control to speak. "You said Six."

It then occurred to Seven that Nine hadn't said any names. "Oh…" Now she was the flustered one and absentmindedly fixed her helmet to cover a brief blush. "Well, no, you didn't, but it was a little obvious. You and Six spend so much time together and it's rather obvious that he's sweet on you."

"I don't know about that," Nine dismissed. Though he still got a tiny, lopsided smile at the thought. "But I'll admit it, it is Six. He's just… I don't know how to describe it other than saying he's incredible, and warm, and there's this thing when he smiles that's just… He could light a candle with his smile. I know it sounds weird, but it's just that bright." It was obvious that he was enraptured in his own description, and he started to give in to her suggestion. "You think I should tell him?"

"I do," Seven agreed. "I'm sure you could put something together that Six would like, get him alone like you got me, and then tell him exactly how you feel. All of this that you're telling me, tell him." Nine agreed with this, suddenly feeling much more confident than he had in the moments leading up to this conversation. That's what he would do.

Unfortunately, neither Nine nor Seven noticed when they gained an unexpected watcher about halfway through the conversation. Over in the entrance to the passage waited none other than Cat, who had come down to find them. What he hadn't expected was to see Seven and Nine sitting together, fully unafraid to get their hands on each other, looking just as delighted as two Stitchpunks could. The surge of intense emotion inside Cat's chest was enough to trigger his optics to alight in bright red.

Just watching Seven pet on Nine was enough to set him off. He thought that they were close, but here she was touching Nine like she had touched him. With that confused realization, Cat suddenly wondered if she treated all the others like he treated him, and if his belief that they were anything significant was just some sort of mistaken belief. He was totally overwhelmed by a mix of emotions that he could've never been prepared for. Without a word, except the low growl in his chest, he turned and headed back into the passage.

Cat stormed out of the passage with so much intensity that Six and Eight almost thought One had somehow snuck by. Eight was at his post and sharpening his knife while Six was drawing in his gallery, but both looked out and over when Cat started to speedily walk to the lift.

"Cat?" Six curiously asked as he stepped out of the gallery. "Is something wrong? Are Seven and Nine still out there?" He had been listening when Eight told Cat originally that they went through the passage behind the calendar, so he put two and two together. Obviously, it was something involving them that had bothered him.

The taller Stitchpunk, or beast equivalent, stopped before boarding the lift. He was too agitated to stop entirely, so he then began to pace in front of the lift. Six watched him pace silently while Eight decided to speak up, either curious himself or irritated by the pacing.

"Come out with it, what is it? You and Seven get into some sort of fight?" Eight asked. He then gave a dry chuckle, "Yeah, that's all we need. More people fighting."

Cat shot him a look with a low growl, as though trying to tell him that it wasn't the time without blatantly vocalizing it. Then he looked to Six, "If Seven _finishes up_ with Nine, don't say I was looking for her." He then turned and entered the bucket lift. "Going to scout." He reached up and harshly yanked the release, then proceeded to plummet down into the cathedral, completely uncaring in the speed. He couldn't see the others. He couldn't even stand seeing his creator, and decided not to inform him that he was leaving. He just needed fresh air.

Meanwhile, Six and Eight were both left in confusion. The artist looked to the guard and tilted his head. The guard responded with a shrug and a look of a disbelief. It was as though they were doing their impression of the twins, but there really wasn't any words to express their confusion. Now spurned onwards, Six headed over and slipped into the passage as well. Instead of heading all the way to the bottom, he stopped at the first of the carved windows and peered through.

He couldn't see well, but he could see Nine and Seven sitting together, talking, and eventually punctuating it with a brief hug. Six knew why Cat was so upset now and a weird feeling filled his insides. There was a sadness, but there wasn't a surprise, and he watched them a little longer. When they stood, as though they were coming back, Six turned and headed back into the throne room. Eight watched him enter and sulk over to his gallery.

Six quietly unhooked the pinned canvas to cover the opening and prepared to hide away. However, he was interrupted by Eight's voice.

"Before you pull a Cat, let me give you some advice," Eight called over to him from his side of the throne. He set his knife and whetstone aside and looked to the artist, looking less than pleased about the entire situation. "You don't know what's going on out there, I don't know what's going on out there, so before you start thinking of anything or do something stupid, like Cat, you need to go ask Nine face to face," the guard pointed out. "Too many of our fights are started because we all start assuming the worst and never deal with it head on."

"Oh… Oh, no, I don't need to do that," Six quietly murmured. He clutched his key in one hand, "I… I know they weren't doing anything… I'm okay…" He faded out, standing there uncomfortably and shuffling from foot to foot. Regardless of what he said, it was obvious that he was upset. While Eight wasn't the friendliest of Stitchpunks, and certainly didn't have the closest relationship with Six, he knew he had to do something.

"Then what's on your mind?" Eight inquired in confusion as he crossed his arms and leaned back to get comfortable. There was a chance that this could go on a while. "Come on, I don't have all day."

Six seemed hesitant to spill any emotions to Eight. He knew that the larger could easily turn this back on him later or twist his words in a mocking way, but he still considered it. Eight had been a little more tolerable recently, especially since the twins came home, and he honestly seemed like he was interested in helping the situation. Even if it was only because he was bored or didn't want it getting to One.

"It was just… Seven and Nine sitting together, hugging and smiling, they're just… They fit together," Six pointed out. "They fit so well, like- like a lock and a key! Seven's strong and beautiful, and likes to scout and explore. Nine's… Nine's smart and handsome, and he likes going out there too. They're just… They look like they were meant for each other." He turned his head away shamefully as his voice lowered to a whisper, "Where do I fit in?"

"Bring me up to speed. You and Nine got something going on, yeah?" Eight bluntly asked. Six responded with a soft blush and a nod. "Then what's the problem? Seven and Nine ain't got anything going on. It's just gonna end up like that thing between Five and Seven way back." That 'thing' was much less of a thing and more of a crush on Five's part, but it did raise some of a point.

"But that's not the point," Six disagreed. "The point isn't that Seven might not like Nine. Who wouldn't like Nine?"

"I ain't crazy about him," Eight butted in.

"You're not crazy about anyone," Six flatly answered, briefly falling out of his usual timid behavior. He then returned to his self-consciousness, "The point is… Nine's perfectly created. I was made-." Six cut off as he heard footsteps and his mismatched optics widened. In the moment Eight looked over at the passage, Six turned and darted into the gallery. "Someone-!"

"Gee, I wonder who," Eight mumbled to himself. As expected, Nine and Seven stepped through, ignorant to the entire ordeal with Cat and Six. Eight sat upwards once more and set the whetstone against his chest to begin sharpening again, but took as long as he could so that he could listen in on the two Stitchpunks in the room.

"I'm going to go see if Two came out of the woodwork. I think Five was sort of stuck here until he came back, so that's where I'm heading," Nine explained as he rubbed his neck. "Then I'll get started on that project." Of course, 'project' was just to cover his real plans for the evening, and Seven couldn't help but smile at it. She watched him leave towards the sleeping quarters before looking back towards Eight.

"Did Cat come through here?" Seven asked. "He was on the prowl for Two, and I want to know if I'm going to have to join in." Eight optics slid from his knife before stopping on Seven, contemplating what he needed to say. He finally took into consideration that he thought Cat's behavior was foolish and decided that bluntness had worked so far.

"If by 'come through' you mean 'blew through like a tornado', then yeah, he did," Eight remarked, "And unless the breaks on the lift held, he's in pieces at the bottom of the lift." She looked understandably confused at the way Eight worded it and gave a concerned frown. Eight didn't wait for her to ask. "He saw you and Nine out there doing whatever you were doing." Seven's look turned to surprise as she was quickly brought to speed with what happened.

"We were just talking," Seven defended. Her firm resolve almost immediately shifted to a weary sigh, "But this is Cat; stubborn as a brick and lacking most social cues. I'll go after him and straighten this out." It couldn't be as bad as Eight was suggesting. More than likely it was her assuming the worst and Cat had simply gotten impatient with her making time with Nine. Or she hoped this was the case, as this would be something she could handle much easier. As she headed to the lift, Six briefly peered out at her, but then disappeared once again.

This was all quite a mess. Eight couldn't help but be relieved that One wasn't down in the throne room or he would've gotten involved and escalated it all. He cared for his leader more than nearly anything, but even he was willing to acknowledged One's intrusion on things best left untouched. He shook his head; even he shouldn't have gotten involved. It just didn't seem worth all the competition and the risk of misunderstandings just to stake a claim on another Stitchpunk. Eight wouldn't be caught dead competing like that.

…Well, maybe for Four, but nobody was going to be foolish enough to compete with him. If they did- The mere thought was much more amusing than concerning.

* * *

 **Mable: Remember to keep an eye out on the 20** **th** **for possible signs of the Scientist's next update. I don't know if he'd do January 20** **th** **again, but I could believe that his next update, like his last and the picture, will be on the 20** **th** **of some month. ^-^ It's good to keep an eye out; gives something to look forward to.  
Sorry about how long this chapter took to finish. The next will be posted as soon as I finish it. I hope you enjoyed!**


	33. Chapter 33: Holding on Tight

**Mable: Heh, so, uh… I've got some explaining to do for this delay… Alright, who am I kidding? I hit a writer's block, ran out of time, squandered what time I did have, and procrastinated terribly. Though I still have the fic planned out and all the ideas laid out, so the story isn't going to hit a block that I can't get around. (If I can manage my time better, good grief.) So, sorry about the delay on this. I hope you Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Our Inner Beasts**_

 _Chapter Thirty-Three: Holding on Tight_

Seven wasn't worried about the possibility of running into the Hammer Beast. The more immediate threat was losing Cat's trail and getting stuck blindly wandering the Emptiness. Though she didn't suspect that it would be too hard to find him if she kept a proper eye on his patterns. Cat tended to usually head northward towards the fallen wall, but only occasionally headed into the wasteland. Instead, he usually tried to climb vertically and get to a vantage point of some kind. Whether it be the top of a car or on a building.

She wasn't surprised when that was exactly how she found him. Seven wandered up on the fallen wall, leading out into the Emptiness and eventually to the factory, and found Cat trying to gain verticality. He had climbed upon the fallen Walker and a was looking for a place to jump onto the wall, perhaps to climb even higher. He was fixing his helmet and crouching to jump when Seven spoke.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Seven pointed out in amusement. She couldn't help but smile as he staggered lightly, losing his poise to jump and looking to her. "That wall hasn't done much but crumble in years."

Cat looked to her for a few moments and then looked ahead at the wall again. "We'll see," he off-handedly remarked. She was slightly surprised at how passively flat his tone sounded. He almost seemed disinterested in her arrival, which was a stark difference to his usual behavior. Then he jumped and just barely stopped himself on a rut in the wall's broken edge. His claws scraped down it, but he managed to stop himself before he fully plummeted. Slowly, Cat started to climb upwards.

"I'll find another way up if you want some company," Seven volunteered. Cat gave a scoffing noise, one too One-like for Seven's liking. "What was that? You don't think I can get up there?"

"I don't think Nine could get up here," Cat answered back. Before she could question the odd comment, Cat's climbing was suddenly halted. He slid down sharply with his claws digging into the cement. The stone crumbled underneath his feet and refused to hold him up any further. Without much of a warning, Cat suddenly dropped and landed heavily enough on his feet to topple onto his back. "…Ouch."

He turned himself over and started to force himself to his feet as he heard Seven's rapid footsteps. She appeared around the Walker's body only a few seconds later with concern marring her face.

"Are you okay?!" she blurted out. "That was a hard fall. Did you break anything?"

"I'm fine," Cat denied as he stood. One step resonated through his leg; sore, but not broken. "I'll walk it off." Seven watched him start to limp away with a growing frown.

"Alright, what's going on?" Seven abruptly demanded as she followed behind him.

"Nothing," Cat denied.

"Is this about Nine?... You saw us out on the roof," Seven guessed. For a moment she felt a tinge of sympathy, but it quickly switched to exasperation. "Cat, I was talking with Nine on the roof. I don't know what you think it was about, but it didn't involve whatever you're thinking."

"Oh?" Cat questioned as he started down the slope. He slid down a steep piece of concrete and landed on his feet, wincing at the pressure on his leg, and then continued to try and walk it off.

"It didn't involve Nine waxing poetic on the roof about how I reminded him of the moon, or any other sort of sonnet that you could be imagining," Seven mockingly quipped. She then focused on the leg again. "It you keep walking away from me, Cat, then I'm going to have to stop you."

" _Oh?"_ Now Cat sounded like he was inviting the challenge. Seven swiftly walked ahead and looped around him, only to have Cat turn and try walking away. The Warrior continued to circle and Cat continued to turn, leaving them literally walking in circles. It didn't take long before Seven started to run out of patience.

"Stop being so difficult," Seven remarked as she halted. "Fine then, you want to walk around on your leg then you ought to do something better with it. Let's spar." That was her way in. If talking like normal Stitchpunks wouldn't work, then she knew that getting him to spar would open the door into communication. To her surprise, Cat did not take the bait.

"Don't feel like it," Cat casually dismissed. "I think I might go off to scout." Then he suddenly broke into an abrupt jog. It was as though he knew that Seven would be sprinting after him, which she did. She didn't call after him or say a word. She just followed at his heels, easily keeping up due to the slight limp in his step. Though Cat seemed determined to be difficult as his gaze became set on location in particular. He ran quicker and dropped down into a broken open grate on the side of the street. This time he landed in a roll, splashing into a layer of collected rainwater that went to his knees.

The opening led further through what seemed to be a half-fallen tunnel. It could've been a drainage passage or a fallen sewer that had started to break down with age. Regardless of this, Cat began to wade through the run off and start down the tunnel. There were places where the stone of the road or even loose dirt has fallen through, but he climbed over the mounds of thickened muck and hefty rocks with little trouble. The only issue was further on in the tunnel when Cat had to slide himself through a tight gap between the tunnel wall and a hunk of stone.

After this larger blockage, Cat could see light ahead from where the street had collapsed in on the small tunnel. A satisfied smile started to spread across his lips as he finished wading through the water. The bottom of which became a sinking sludge comprised of mud and other sediments. Stepping out under the light shining through the crumbling road was some form of a relief and he started to climb out of the pit and back into the city. Or there was relief, until he raised his head to stare out over the street and found him staring directly at Seven, who was smirking.

"Usually the point of a short cut is for it to be shorter," she pointed out. Slowly, Cat slinked back down, dropped into the water and trying to continue along the broken tunnel. Seven peered down at him, "It's going to be a dead end." From this spot alone she could see where, further down the line, the street had caved into the tunnel beneath it. He still continued inside. "Well, if you're that determined then I won't stop you. I'll be waiting here for when you get back." She leaned back against an abandoned tire and crossed both arms and legs.

As much amusement as she was getting seeing Cat do this to himself, she was starting to become more concerned. It was obvious that she needed to deal with this and, as much as she didn't want to break Nine's trust, she knew that honesty was the only way to silence Cat's stubbornness. She just had to wait.

Eventually, Cat climbed back up onto the street and began to walk off in a random direction with his head pointed downwards in defeat. Seven followed after him quickly, deciding that it was time to stop him.

"Before you run off again," Seven began, watching as Cat started to head off in an eastwardly direction, almost towards the Scientist's workshop. "You should know that Nine and I were talking about his feelings for Six."

Cat came to an abrupt halt in place. For a moment he just stood there, then he looked back at her. Under his helmet she could see furrowed confusion. Upon realizing that she was absolutely serious, he slowly turned back away. "Oh… Huh…" With that, he continued to walk, largely unaffected by the statement. Seven didn't know if he didn't believe her, but this seemed to raise the suspicion that something else was amiss.

"What is it now? You know Nine and I weren't out there being romantic, so what is it?" Seven inquired as he fixed his gaze on a fallen streetlamp. He pulled himself up onto it and started to walk down it, but was still clearly limping.

"It's nothing," Cat denied. "…But it is a shame. You two would've been a good couple. You'd fit right in together." He started to walk down the post, not having to balance and folding his arms behind his back.

"And what does that mean?" Seven asked right back as she quickened to walk beside him, though on the ground. "After that display from just thinking the worst, I doubt you would be that eager to see me jump into a romance with Nine. You don't seem like the type."

"Didn't say that," Cat countered. His eyes landed on the wrecked car that was smashed into the end of the streetlamp. It suddenly would cut off their path and he decided to use it to his advantage. "And you don't seem like the type who would let your guard down with the monster that caged you."

"And what exactly does One-." Seven's voice halted as she realized whom he meant. It would've been amusing if not for how sudden the comment was. Her head snapped upwards to him. "What?" she gasped out. Without much warning, Cat dropped down on the other side. Seven had no intention on letting him go and easily sprung onto and dropped down from the other side of the lamppost. "Hold on, Cat! You stop right there!"

Cat gave a non-descript groan of some kind. With a vocal scoff, Seven sped up until she was on his heels. "What does that mean?! What are you saying?!"

"The nice kid with a good head on his shoulders or the thing that clawed up your back and left you in a cage? Seems like an obvious choice… To me." The last comment was under his breath, but Seven still heard it.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Seven argued as she reached for his shoulder. "Because that's when you were a beast!" Before she could touch him, he spun around in spot and stared her down. His optics were glowing in red and jagged once more.

" _I still am a beast!"_

The Emptiness fell quiet after that roaring outburst and the two stared each other down. Seven's features softened, her hand still poised in the air, and her optics stared at his now red ones in alarm. His tense look abruptly fell and his jagged pupils aimed away at the ground. He shoulders sagged and he looked dismal, defeated, and humiliated by his own outburst. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

"We all keep saying that it's different now that I'm not a beast. That everything I did is forgiven, because I did it when I was a beast, that I didn't know what I was doing… But nothing's changed," Cat explained. "I… Feel things stronger… But I'm feeling the same things I felt then. I didn't change, Dove, I just started seeing things more clearly… But I'm the same thing that hunted you then. I'm just in a different body." As she reached for him, he drew back out of her reach. "Let's be honest. We both know you deserve better."

With that, he turned and continued away. Seven stared after him, watching in horror, and completely stunned by the remark. She had no idea that he was dealing with that level of guilt. She knew she had to go after him, but before she could he abruptly raised his head and stopped. His optics darted around as everything sunk in.

"No, wait."

Then, without another word, Cat turned on his heel and ran right back to her. Before Seven could even brace herself, Cat's arms scooped around her and swept her against him. The red in his optics was gone, but they were still fiery with a determination that she hadn't expected him to come back with.

"I'm not giving you up that easily," Cat suddenly announced and changed his tone entirely as he pulled her in. She was pressed to his chest and looking up at him as he gazed down at her. He was almost transfixed on her as he reached up and pushed his helmet out of the way, revealing his face in entirety once more. "Because I know you'd be strong enough to walk away and you're still here." He leaned in and nuzzled against her cheek before dropping to rest his head against her neck, all while she was still watching in surprise. "Because I love you and I'm willing to fight to prove it."

"…You love me?" Seven quietly asked. The words alone were enough to render her speechless. It was different than Nine's confession, both because of the wording and the emotional backing on it. She couldn't deny that something inside her was melting under those three words. As though her heart was made of protective ice that was now dripping off, leaving her vulnerable, but giving every emotion the chance to impact stronger. She wasn't safe, but she didn't know if she wanted to be.

"I love you, _Seven_ ," Cat clarified with all honesty. "And I don't give a damn if I am a beast, I want you to be my mate."

All of it almost seemed too sudden, but on the other hand it wasn't as though Seven needed more time. She already had a decision as she looked into his eyes and saw his growing desperation as he waited. She found her voice sputtering as she decided to go ahead with those three words. She knew she felt them, regardless of how much she struggled to let her guard down and say them.

"…I love you too," Seven admitted through a hushed voice. "…And I want to be your mate."

Cat eagerly hugged her close and nuzzled back into her neck. His chest began to vibrate loudly as he began to purr in delight. He was practically shivering against her.

"But under two conditions," Seven interrupted. She laid her hands on his chest and lightly pushed him back, so she could look him in the eyes. "Firstly, no more of this jealousy. I am loyal, Cat, but I will not cut off affection to my family because you think Nine and I may be a good couple."

"Sure, right. All forgotten," Cat insisted. He was too delighted to argue, but even if he could he wasn't certain if he would. Her agreement to become his mate secured his confidence enough to ignore what he had thought earlier that day, which he now truly knew was wrong.

"And secondly, I want you to stop blaming yourself about the past. You can't keep holding onto the guilt," Seven encouraged. She reached forward to cup his face and listened to his pure. "We were both different then and what we did doesn't matter now. You've more than proved that you've changed. You've grown whether or not you believe it." Cat's purring slowed for a moment but returned full force when she leaned in and took his lips. The intention was for it to be quick, but it lingered as she found herself reluctant to pull away from him. She held him firm and indulged in his rough fabric against her lips.

She hadn't made a mistake. She knew that this was the right choice.

* * *

"Hey, Six?" Nine poked his head into Six's gallery. The artist was painting instead of drawing, standing at his easel and painting with the tip of a paint brush. In his other hand was a piece of cardboard that he was using as a palette, with a blend of orange, pink, and red hues dotting around on it. He smiled at seeing the artist using the gift and took a few steps closer. "Are you busy?"

"Not- Not really…" Six excused as he set his brush on the edge of the easel and turned his attention to Nine, who was now watching the painting. "…Where's Seven?" He hadn't meant to say that. He meant to say Two, Five, anyone other than Seven. Before Nine could notice, Six scrambled to add more on. "I thought I heard her go down in the bucket lift."

"I don't know. Maybe she went to make sure Two and Five were holding their own with the Machine. With Fabricant," Nine added the last part as a correction. "That's what Five said his name is now."

"It's nicer than 'the Machine'," Six pointed out. He then grabbed at his key, somewhat glad that he didn't have to worry about his hands being stained. While his fingers were the best tools with ink, paint worked best with the brush, and the results came out softer than his nibs' sharp lines. "Did you need me for something?" The budding of hope started to return as he looked up to Nine with curiosity in his mismatched optics. Caught under their gaze, Nine suddenly felt a little mismatched himself.

"Actually… I was thinking maybe you could come with me up into the Watchtower? That might be something different. Might inspire you even!" Nine suggested. Six looked down for a moment as though considering it, which Nine found a bit peculiar. He just assumed that the artist was hesitant to leave his work of art.

"Alone with you in the watchtower… I could see how that could inspire me," Six almost flirtatiously remarked, with his voice just a tone lower than it was before. This tone then was replaced with a more natural one. "Lead the way," Six offered, to which Nine did. He led the artist to the stairs and upwards to the upper lift. Unfortunately, they got to the top to find that the lift was already raised.

"Five and Two must've headed up there. Or one of them," Nine mused as he tried to consider how to change his plan. "Let's go somewhere else. I don't feel like pulling the lift down." Six tilted his head in confusion, unsure at why Nine would give up on the watchtower so easily. "Maybe the workshop is free…" Nine murmured quietly with a hum as he started to lead the artist back to the stairs. It was now when Six had an idea.

"I know somewhere we can go," Six revealed with slightly timid tone. He was less timid when grabbing Nine's hand and rushing past him. He guided Nine down the stairs before carefully looking over the throne room to make sure that nobody noticed them. Thankfully, One was somewhere else, and Eight was too distracted with showing Four his weapon sharpening to notice the Stitchpunks. The artist led Nine to the other side of the archway that opened to the bucket lift and drew back the curtain on the other side. To Nine's surprise, there was a tied off rope.

"Down here," Six beckoned as he knelt down and started to climb down the knotted rope. Nine watched him from above. His immediate reaction was curiosity and interest. His secondary reaction came as soon as he noticed the long drop into the Cathedral, along with the immediate fear of Six losing his grip and plummeting.

"Be careful," Nine warned as he knelt down to watch closer.

"Don't worry! I've done this a bunch of times!" Six called back with a seemingly confident smile. He still moved down slowly on the swaying rope until his feet touched a wood beam against the wall. "Now you. Don't look down."

"I'll try not to," Nine agreed as he started to follow down the knotted rope. Soon he was on the beam as well and turned to the artist, whom then beckoned him further and led him along the beam and to the corner. There was a small opening between the beam and the wall that showed another banister underneath. Six climbed down using small niches that had been carved into the wood like a makeshift ladder.

"One's not the only one with secret passages," Six half-explained and half-bragged as he dropped down onto the next beam. "We're almost there!"

It was only now that Nine realized Six had seen him and Seven leave. Or at least, he knew about the two going through the passage. Part of him felt the need to explain it off quickly, but his better half knew it was worth waiting. What he did instead was follow along behind the artist and looked around at the strange new part of the Cathedral as he did so.

Six finally stopped at a crack in the wall and led Nine over before sitting beside it. It wasn't big enough to sit in, but a nice gust of wind blew in through it. If Nine or Six stood in front of it, they would be able to see through at the sky above the city. Nine looked for a few moments before sitting down alongside Six.

"That's quite a climb," Nine pointed out as he smiled at the striped male. "So… Do you come down here often?"

"I used to," Six admitted, "…But I got distracted with drawing, so I haven't come down here." He looked around at the area around them. "…It's so weird. I-… I guess I wasn't sleeping much when I came last. Everything looks so clear now." He sheepishly grabbed at his key and looked out of the corner of his optic. "I… I didn't sleep very much… But I'm doing better!"

"You've been doing great," Nine assured with a smile. "You've been practicing with your telekinesis, you've been drawing and painting, and not just the nightmares either!" He reached out and took Six's wrist, then slid his hand down to take his own. He gave it a warm squeeze and watched the small smile spreading across the artist's face. "I'm really proud of you."

"Really?" Six squeaked out quietly. He then looked doubtful. "It's sort of hard being proud of my achievements when everyone else does these things so well. Sleeping, working, it should all be so easy…" He played with his key with his other hand. "…Seven does everything better than me. I'm nothing like her."

"Seven?" Nine asked in confusion. He was moderately confused to why Six would suddenly compare himself to Seven but assumed that it had to do with his talk with her. She could've just been a quick example, though Nine couldn't help but suspect something more than that. "I don't think that's true at all. On both accounts. You and Seven are different, but not that different, and it's clear that you have your own talents."

"I don't know…" Six murmured quietly. "I-I mean, I can draw, I can paint, I'm good with art, but I'm not good with other things. I can't really fight- I'd be sunk without my gift- and I'm not good out in the Emptiness. You and her share more than she and I do… Or you and I, for that matter." He looked upwards at Nine again with a hesitant look on his face.

"And that's a bad thing?" Nine questioned. "I think if we all liked the same things it would get pretty boring around here. Even One hates everything, but without him we wouldn't have nearly as much fun sneaking down here." He sent a playful smile to the artist, "And I'm sure he would be steaming if he knew we climbed down here." Six giggled lightly in amusement and started to ease yet again. Seeing this, Nine decided to slide a little closer and show his concern. "Why are you comparing yourself to Seven? Because we were talking?"

"Well, no… Okay, yes," Six timidly admitted as he continued to squeeze onto his key. "I just… I was thinking about it."

"Did Eight say something?" Nine flatly asked. Six shook his head. If anything, Eight had done the reverse in keeping a level head, unlike Cat. Nine's expression softened, "You don't have to compete with Seven. You're great exactly how you are."

"But you like Seven," Six boldly pointed out. He did it even before he could consider the repercussions, and he could no longer make eye contact. Not after he spilled his emotions in one sentence. Nine only hitched for a moment, then did the same thing as Six. Though he had no repercussions to worry about.

"But I like you more," Nine said. Six looked to him with surprise. "That's what I was talking to Seven about… How much I liked you." It was obvious from Six's surprise that he hadn't expected this. Nine could already predict that Six would be too stunned to immediately respond, so he decided to continue instead. He took the artist's hands in his own, even claiming the one from his key. Now with Six directly facing him he could say what he needed to. It was difficult to get out, but he decided to do it.

"Six… I feel closer with you than anyone else. Even Five, and he's my best friend… And I guess it's because I don't see you as my friend… This is all new to me, and I'm probably making a fool of myself, but I… I don't even know what I'm saying." Nine sent a sheepish smile at Six. "Do you understand?"

Meanwhile, Six was downright gawking at the zippered male. At this angle Nine's face was framed in the sun pouring through the crack. The light was nearly gleaming off the metal of his optics and caught him in a heavenly glow. Or at least it looked that way to Six. He wanted to frame the moment and paint it and stared with enough intensity to almost burn the image in his head. Even as the words already burned in much deeper.

"I…I think so…" Six quietly admitted. "Are you saying you want me in… Like you wanted Seven?"

"No," Nine answered. "Not like with Seven. It's stronger than my feelings for her. I admired Seven from a distance, but I don't know if I could be content with that with you… I want to admire you from close up," Nine almost playfully added with a slight shrug. "And I'll be honest, I don't know what this is."

"I do," Six quietly admitted. That silenced any further comments from Nine. Especially when Six admitted, "I think I know… Because I feel it too. I know that's what this is." Almost immediately, his cheeks burned with green light, blushing madly. Especially as Nine's optics widen and his smile briefly faltered in surprise, then returned with a vengeance.

"Really?!" Nine asked in elation. "Then… Would you- I don't know if you want to, but do you want to be mine? Like, would you mind if I courted you?" That was the only thing he could think to explain it. After all, that was how Two worded it, and Two seemed like the type who would know best. "I want to be with you. Maybe we could try being together?"

"Yes!" Six blurted out eagerly. Without another word he sprung ahead and tightly wrapped his arms around Nine's neck. "Yes, yes, together!" Though even as he hugged on tightly, beaming wide, he asked once more. "You're sure you want me? Are you really sure?"

"I don't want anyone else," Nine insisted as he hugged Six tightly to him. "Are you sure you want _me_? You deserve so much, Six. You don't have to agree just because of our friendship."

"That's not why I am agreeing! I never thought- This is wonderful!" Six exclaimed as he broke into a fit of delighted giggles. He clung to Nine happily, nearly half-laying in his lap, and nuzzled into his fabric. Nine was beaming as he rubbed over his back and traced over his number. Only now did he realize that their numbers were so similar. It was as though fate itself had set them on this path. While the thought of something uncontrollable dictating their lives unnerved Nine, he wouldn't argue with it in this case.

Six pulled himself back with the same eager smile, though now there was a touch of shyness. He hesitantly reached forwards to trace his sharp fingertips over Nine's cheek and down his chin. "Do we… Tell the others?" he inquired. Nine considered it for a moment. Telling the others would mean possibly dealing with One's reaction and risking some form of scorn from the others, but at this point he felt no shame in their decision. Nine didn't want to get stuck hiding yet another secret from the others.

"I think we should," Nine agreed with a nod. "There's more of a risk of them being upset by us hiding it then them being upset about us being together… Besides, I think I rather show you off." Six got an embarrassed smile. While Nine followed this comment with a chuckle, he understood Six's worry and reached out to stroke a hand through his yarn. "Don't worry. I think everyone's going to be happy with this. I already know Seven, Five, and Two will be on our side."

"Right. You're right," Six agreed with a nod. He still looked hesitant for a moment, but that look changed as he looked back up at Nine. His smiled turned a bit coyer. "Can I?" he inquired. Nine wasn't sure what he was asking for but saw no reason to turn him down.

"Oh, uh, sure!" Nine agreed. His pulse quickened once more.

With that, Six started to lean in towards Nine. His sharp fingers coaxed Nine to lean in as well before they steadied themselves on the zippered male's cheek. The artist then moved to lean in, his smile going softer and his mismatched optics closing. Leaning in just before they made contact, with their lips nearly brushing. Yet he then waited and Nine quickly became restless. It almost felt natural when he closed the gap between them. Finally, lips met in a tingling warmth, as though it sparked static in their fabric.

It was over quicker than Nine would've wanted but being that he was still not even sure what it was he didn't protest. Six continued smiling at him and trailed his fingers down his chin lovingly.

"I'm going to love putting color on your face," Six boldly suggested. His own cheeks were still glowing in a light blush but were nothing like how Nine's flared after that comment. The artist pulled back onto his knees. "Let's go. I want to tell Two," Six suggested eagerly. His earlier hesitation disappeared as he thought of the inventor's reaction, who would probably be thrilled. The artist stood and offered his hand to Nine who took it and stood as well. They then began to climb back up into the throne room again.

Everything went fine as they climbed back to the knotted rope. Six started to climb onto the rope with Nine bracing him from behind with a brief warning of, "Careful." Six looked back and sent him another smile, which Nine returned, and it almost looked like Six intended to lean in again. Though before he could move more than a small bit, they were cut off by the voice of a newcomer.

"Might I ask what you two were doing down in the lift shaft?" a firm voice asked. Both Nine and Six looked over to see One standing on the stairs and staring down at them. Six grabbed his key and looked down a little meekly while Nine stood his ground but was a bit flustered as well. "I don't recall the lift having any issues."

"It wasn't. Six was just showing me around down here," Nine explained as he looped an arm around Six's shoulders. One quirked a brow and turned, flicking his cape dismissively, and started to climb the stairs. Before he could get far, Nine decided that they weren't finished. "Wait, One, if you don't mind… There's something we need to…" Nine looked to Six, who looked worried, and then looked back to One. "We have news," Nine finalized as he regained a lopsided smile. One furrowed his brows and turned around to head down the steps.

The zippered male nudged Six to climb the rope, which took a little convincing, and then followed up as well. One was waiting for them with one arm folded behind him and the other holding his staff. He looked between the two with scrutiny, as though already trying to guess what this news was and assuming the worst scenarios. Eight was also still in the throne room as well and didn't seem to be paying attention as he was currently pulling small knives and darts off the dartboard. Nine decided to go ahead with it as he stood his ground and forced it out quickly.

"Six and I are together," Nine stated. "I know this is sudden, but we only just decided on this and-." He briefly cut off as Six reached out to latch onto his arm. He wrapped his arms around Nine's arm and laid his hands on his fabric. It was clear that he was nervous from how he clamped on, so Nine tried to finish quickly and get it over with. "Six and I are really fond of each other and this is what we want to do."

One stared with widened optics. They had silently swelled from narrowed slits to where they almost looked normal in comparison. It was almost comical, if not for Nine expecting the leader to suddenly turn and start ranting like a madman. Nine's mouth tightened into a firm line while Six watched with hesitance. Then, One finally spoke.

"I see… That was… Quite abrupt," One haltingly answered. He cleared his voice module. "And you… Would both be aware of what you are saying? That you have not just confused some sort of close friendship with something that neither of you- to what I recall…"

"We know. It's new to us both, but we know," Nine reassured. While he deceptively looked like the one who knew more, largely from Six clinging to him, it was clear that Six would have to be the guide to this. Nine was going in completely blind while Six somehow knew the basic parts of a romantic relationship. Though this was all stuff that Nine would think about while not saying out loud. One didn't need that many details. The leader still seemed a little baffled by all of it and took a surprisingly long time to put his thoughts together.

"…Very well, carry on," One suddenly rushed out. He dismissed them in one fell swoop and turned to retreat. Nine was too shocked to let him leave.

"Wait, you're not upset?" Nine asked in surprise. He exchanged a brief look with an equally surprised Six. "I just assumed that you'd not be this accepting. Like you said, this is sudden…" Or, it was sudden to those who hadn't closely been watching Nine and Six become so friendly with each other. Though that would classify One too, as the three of them didn't spend too much time with each other.

"Why should I be?" One defended. He frowned in slight offense. "Am I just some madman who flies off the handle any time anyone does anything? I'm afraid not." He paused long enough to adjust his cape and turned his chin up at the younger Stitchpunk. "What you and Six do in your free time is none of my concern unless it puts you, us, or the Sanctuary in danger… And while I'm on the subject, stop climbing down into the bucket lift shaft." He then turned away to approach his throne.

In this moment, Six released an exhale of relief and covered his face with his hand. He hadn't ever expected One to be alright with all of this, and with him on board it seemed less likely that the others would be against it. Nine smiled down at him excitedly, "Time to go tell Two?"

"Time to go tell Two," Six agreed. With a burst of eagerness, he led Nine to the stairs, as though he automatically knew that Two was the one up in the watchtower. He led Nine by the hand and chattered excitedly while they climbed the steps together. It was hard to remember a time when he was this happy.

Then there was One, who sunk into his throne and watched the two leave. He saw their entangled hands, he saw their delighted smiles, and he knew that they were deliriously happy. Meanwhile, he couldn't deny that he was feeling rather torn about the whole thing. Of course, he would be accepting; he would be a hypocrite if he wasn't considering his courting of Two. Thinking of Two managed to bring to light his deeper feelings, which were almost tinged in jealousy. It almost seemed unfair that Nine and Six could embrace romance while he had to hide his own.

Just as quickly as he thought this, his mind swerved the other way and One realized something new. Nine and Six had clearly been worried of what he thought and, if their eagerness was any indication, just assumed that the others would be fine about it. If this was the case, if One really was supposedly the only one who would question their relationship, then perhaps One didn't have to worry about what the others would think. He was leader, after all. What he wanted should've been a top priority. Nobody needed to question a leader's decisions.

For now, One would let Nine and Six tell Two. Then when he had Two to himself, he would tell him of his new findings. Perhaps they didn't need to hide this courtship of theirs after all.

* * *

 **Mable: Hopefully the next chapter comes quicker than this one. I'm going to make sure that I get more time to work on it and working smarter with that time, and hopefully it'll work out for the better. ^-^ Especially now that we have all this love spreading amongst the Stitchpunks. Anyway, the next chapter will be posted as soon as its finished, and I hope you enjoyed!**


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